Beginners Quiz

In total, how many community cards are dealt in a hand of Texas hold’em?

1. 2
2. 7
3. 5

Answer: c. The five community cards are dealt as the flop (first three cards), the turn (the fourth card) and the river (fifth card).

In a standard game of Texas hold’em, how many players have to post blinds before the deal?

1. 1
2. 2
3. All of them

Answer: b. The player to the left of the dealer puts in the small blind, and the player to their left posts the big blind.

What is the name of the 3rd betting round in a game of Texas hold’em?

1. The flop
2. The turn
3. The river

Answer: b. The betting rounds are, in order: preflop, the flop, the turn, the river.

Why are poker chips different colors?

1. Each color represents a different value
2. Each player has their own color
3. No reason, it just makes the game more fun

Answer: a. Different colors make it easy to tell chip values apart, even from across the table.

Which is the better hand: a flush or a straight?

1. A flush
2. A straight

Answer: a. A flush beats a straight.

Why does a straight flush beat four-of-a-kind?

1. It looks better
2. No reason, it’s just always been that way
3. The probability of making a straight flush is lower than making four-of-a-kind

Answer: c. Hands are ranked by probability: the rarer the hand, the higher it ranks. A straight flush is the least likely hand to make, so it is the strongest.

Which hand is known as the worst starting hand in hold’em?

1. 2-3 offsuit
2. 2-7 offsuit
3. 2-6 offsuit
4. All of the above

Answer: b. 2-7 offsuit holds the lowest cards that cannot work together to make a straight or a flush.

Which is the stronger starting hand in hold’em: ‘pocket rockets’ or ‘snowmen’?

1. ‘Pocket rockets’
2. ‘Snowmen’

Answer: a. A pair of aces, known as ‘pocket rockets’, is the best starting hand in hold’em. ‘Snowmen’ is a nickname for a pair of 8s.

A player is all-in with 7♦-8♠ against A♥-A♦, and the board shows A♠-5♣-6♣-K♥. What hand are they drawing to?

1. A flush
2. A full house
3. A straight

Answer: c. Pairing a hole card can’t beat three aces, so they need a 9 or a 4 to make a straight with their 5-6-7-8.

Which of these terms best describes the starting hand J♣-10♣?

1. A premium hand
2. Suited connectors
3. A suited one-gapper

Answer: b. Connectors are cards directly next to each other, such as J-10, 3-4 or 8-9, and help make straights. Suited, they can also make a flush.

What happens during a color-up in a live poker tournament?

1. Low denomination chips are removed from play
2. New higher denomination chips are introduced
3. The value of each color chip changes
4. All of the above

Answer: a. Removing low chips as the blinds rise keeps the number of physical chips in play manageable.

When should you play a wider range of starting hands?

1. When you start getting bored
2. Whenever you are first to act
3. When you are in late position

Answer: c. Acting later gives you more information, so you can play more starting hands from late position.

If you flop an open-ended straight draw, how many outs do you have to make your straight?

1. 16
2. 8
3. 6
4. 4

Answer: b. With 5-6-7-8 you need a 4 or a 9. There are four of each in the deck, so you have 8 outs.

True or false: on a flop of 6♣-7♣-2♦, a player holding 8♣-9♣ is a favorite to beat a player holding A♦-A♥.

1. True
2. False

Answer: a. An open-ended straight flush draw has 15 outs (9 for the flush, 6 more for the straight). On the flop it is around a 54% favorite to complete by the river.

What does ‘UTG’ stand for?

1. Usually Too Good
2. Undo The Gutshot
3. Under The Gun

Answer: c. Under The Gun is the position first to act after the blinds.

If I count the chips in the pot and compare them to the amount I have to call, what am I doing?

1. Calculating my outs
2. Calculating pot odds
3. Practicing good bankroll management

Answer: b. Pot odds compare what you can win from the pot with what you must put in to call.

When are implied odds not an important consideration?

1. When your opponent has a very small stack
2. When a player is all-in
3. In limit poker
4. All of the above

Answer: d. Implied odds are the chips you can win later if you make your hand. All of these situations limit that number.

With fewer players in the game, should you play more or fewer hands?

1. More
2. Fewer
3. It doesn’t matter

Answer: a. As the table gets smaller, the hands you play should go up. Heads-up, even a single ace or king can be a strong starting hand.

True or false: when you are short-stacked in a tournament, you should do more calling than raising to preserve your chips.

1. True
2. False

Answer: b. With a short stack, consider going all-in rather than calling off your chips and ‘bleeding out’.

Why is bet-sizing important?

1. The right-sized bet may cause weaker hands to call
2. The right-sized bet may cause stronger hands to fold
3. All of the above

Answer: c. Every bet should aim for one of these outcomes, and its size decides how well it works.

Which word describes a card that will improve your hand?

1. An out
2. A draw
3. A stud
4. A moneymaker

Answer: a. Knowing your outs, and how many you have, matters whenever you’re on a drawing hand.

What is the name for the percentage of a cash game pot kept by the casino as a fee?

1. The draw
2. The muck
3. The vig
4. The rake

Answer: d. Most card rooms take a small share of every pot that reaches the flop, called the rake. Some charge a fee per 30 minutes at the table instead.

Where is seat 1 at a poker table?

1. To the left of the dealer
2. To the right of the dealer
3. Directly opposite the dealer

Answer: a. Seat 1 is to the dealer’s left, and numbers run clockwise, so the seat to the dealer’s right is the highest number.

How does a casino or card room make money from tournament players?

1. By withholding a portion of the tournament buy-ins
2. By taking chips from every pot
3. By charging a set fee for every hour spent at the tables

Answer: a. Part of your buy-in goes straight to the house as an entry fee instead of into the prize pool.

How many online poker accounts can you have?

1. Only one
2. As many as you like, there’s no limit
3. As many as you like, but no more than one per site

Answer: c. You can join as many sites as you like, but only one account per site.