Useful Stuff

Links

Useful links for the Flock — rules, odds, strategy, poker culture, and the occasional reminder that yes, you really did play that hand wrong.

1 Poker Rules & Hand Rankings

Texas Hold’em Rules ↗

The official Bicycle walkthrough of Hold’em — hole cards, blinds, the flop/turn/river, and who actually has to act first.

bicyclecards.com

Poker Hand Rankings ↗

A clean, no-nonsense ranking of every hand from royal flush down to “high card and a dream.” Settle table arguments here.

Tournament Structure Basics ↗

How tournaments actually work — blind levels, antes, payouts, freezeouts vs. emergency Clam Replenishment. The skeleton of every donkfest.

Basics of Poker & House Rules ↗

Betting, the rank of hands, and the tradition of house rules — for when somebody insists “that’s how we’ve always played it.”

bicyclecards.com

2 Strategy & Learning

Beginner Hold’em Strategy ↗

A whole library of beginner-friendly strategy articles from Upswing. Read one before next month and confuse everybody.

upswingpoker.com

Tournament Poker Strategy ↗

Tight vs. loose, bubble play, and surviving the long grind to a final table. Tournament-specific tips for the serious(ish).

Position 101 ↗

Why acting last is the cheapest edge in poker. Learn the seats — and please stop limping under the gun with 9-2.

upswingpoker.com

Blinds, Button & Betting ↗

Button, blinds, antes and the dreaded straddle, explained in plain English — the mechanics behind every betting round.

3 Poker Odds & Tools

Poker Odds Calculator ↗

Plug in the cards and find out exactly how big a favorite you were when you somehow still managed to lose the hand.

Starting Hand Charts ↗

The ultimate guide to which hands to play from where, printable charts included. Spoiler: you should fold more than you think.

upswingpoker.com

Poker Probability ↗

The actual math behind flushes, full houses, and miracle rivers — for when “it felt like a lock” just isn’t good enough.

Odds & Outs Reference ↗

Counting your outs and turning them into percentages — the quick mental math that separates calls from prayers.

4 Poker News & Culture

Daily poker news and live tournament reporting from around the world. The closest thing the game has to a front page.

Card Player ↗

The long-running poker magazine and site — news, player profiles, and tools. Old-school poker media still going strong.

World Series of Poker (WSOP) ↗

The history of the big one in Vegas — bracelets, the Main Event, and the legends who built it. Pure background, no sign-ups.

History of Poker ↗

From riverboats to the Moneymaker boom — how a saloon game became a worldwide obsession (and our monthly excuse).

Poker Hall of Fame ↗

The legends enshrined in poker’s hall of fame. Nobody from the Flock yet — but give Tim a few more 84-point nights.

5 Fun / League Resources

Host the Best Home Games ↗

Everything you need to run a great home game — chips, structure, snacks, and not inviting the guy who slow-rolls.

Home Blinds & Betting Setup ↗

Sample blind structures and house-rule guidance for home tournaments — handy if you ever have to cover Chris on math night.

Printable Robert’s Rules (PDF) ↗

Robert’s Rules of Poker, written for private home games. Print it, tape it to the wall, and end the argument before it starts.

pagat.com · PDF

Hand Odds Cheat Sheet ↗

A printable cheat sheet of hand probabilities — perfect taped next to the chips for the table lawyer in your life.

Play for bragging rights, not the rent. Gambling problem??? Chance??? Gamblers Anonymous

Page Changelog

Updated June 20, 2026

Rebuilt the Links page as a curated, categorized resource hub for the Flock.
Added five sections: Rules & Hand Rankings, Strategy & Learning, Odds & Tools, News & Culture, and Fun / League Resources.
Added 21 hand-picked links from reputable, non-spammy sources (Bicycle, Pagat, Upswing, CardPlayer, PokerNews, Wikipedia), each with a short description.
Removed the old brick-and-mortar card-room/casino list — this page now focuses on rules, strategy, odds, and culture, with no online-gambling or casino sign-up links.
All external links open in a new tab with rel=”noopener noreferrer”.
Restyled to match the Poker In The Wood look: dark felt, wood, and gold, with hover cards.
Kept the responsible-play note (and the obligatory shot at Chance).