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Live CasinosGamesPokerUnderstanding Online Live Poker Hands and Odds

Understanding Online Live Poker Hands and Odds

Last updated: 24.11.2025
Nathan Williams
Published by:Nathan Williams
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Regular players down at the local poker club in South Africa will know pretty much all about the different poker hands, like the royal flush, straight flush, and full house. These are the big ones you'll see come up quite often.

To get a bit of an edge when you're playing live poker online, there are a few crucial bits of info you should have locked down. This includes knowing how the different hands stack up against each other and how likely they are to crop up. It's all part of the game, hey?

In this article, we'll be breaking down the hand rankings in poker, the payouts you can expect for different online live variations available to South Africans, those lekker progressive jackpots, and of course, your chances of winning.

How Poker Hands Stack Up: The Rankings

Before we get stuck into the payouts for the various online live poker games you can find, let's get our heads around the basics of how hands are ranked in poker:

  • Hands in poker are ranked from the toughest to the weakest. The absolute top dog is the royal flush, which is a 10, jack, queen, king, and ace, all of the same suit. Nothing beats that, bru!
  • Next up, you've got the straight flush, then four-of-a-kind, followed by a full house, a flush, a straight, three-of-a-kind, two pairs, one pair, and finally, the high card, which is the lowest of the lot.

What You Can Win: Payouts in Online Live Poker

The payouts for each winning hand will actually differ depending on the online live poker variation you're playing.

  • Texas Hold'em - The top-ranking hand can land you a sweet 10,000:1 payout, while even the lowest-ranking hand still gives you a 1:1 return. Not bad for a bit of fun!
  • Omaha - Highest-ranking hand pays out 5000:1, and the lowest-ranking hand pays out at 1:1.
  • Seven Card Stud - Highest-ranking hand pays out 1000:1, while the lowest-ranking hand pays out 1:1.

Progressive Jackpots in Online Live Casino Poker Games

In addition to regular payouts, many online live casino poker games offer progressive jackpots. Progressive jackpots increase in value every time a player places a bet. The jackpot continues to grow until a player hits the winning combination.

Understanding the different types of progressive jackpots can help you increase your chances of winning big. Some jackpots are awarded randomly, while others require a specific hand or combination of hands. The odds of hitting a progressive jackpot in online live poker vary depending on the game variation.

The best jackpot hand in live poker is a bad beat. A bad beat occurs when a player with a very strong hand loses to a player with an even stronger hand. The bad beat jackpot is awarded to the player who loses with the stronger hand.

Odds of Winning in Online Live Poker Games

There are many factors that influence the poker hand ranking odds. They include:

  • Number of players,
  • Your position on the table,
  • Skill Level,
  • The type of poker game you play.

For almost any poker game, the highest possibility for a hand to happen is Pair, which comes with odds of 1.28:1.

There are several tools and resources available online to help you calculate the odds of making a particular hand. These include poker odds calculators and charts that outline the odds of making specific hands.

Conclusion

Overall, poker is not a game that requires only luck. You need to be familiar with the different payouts and hand probabilities to increase your chances of winning.

Knowing the poker hand odds and rankings can help you make informed decisions during the game at the top online live casinos. It's also essential to know the payouts for each hand in the variation you're playing.

Being successful in online live poker requires you to follow a strategy and play according to the limits you set. Setting limits will result in you becoming a better player who always gambles responsibly.

FAQ

How many hands are dealt per hour in online live poker games in South Africa?

The average number of live poker hands dealt per hour is approximately 60, but this can fluctuate based on the number of players at the table and the dealer's speed. Keep in mind that faster gameplay can influence your betting strategy.

Does the dealer participate in hands in online live poker?

In online live poker games, the dealer's role is to deal the cards and manage the flow of the game. They do not play a hand themselves. Their primary function is to ensure fair play and adherence to the rules.

What constitutes a winning hand against the dealer in online live poker?

In most online live poker variations, the dealer doesn't directly compete against players' hands. Instead, players aim to create the best hand against each other. However, in games like Caribbean Stud Poker, the player's hand must outrank the dealer's hand to secure a win. Always check the specific game rules before playing. Remember to gamble responsibly.

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