Texas Hold'em has fast become the most popular casino poker game in the world. Today, Poker is carefully regulated by gambling laws, and saloons have given
way to casinos and cardrooms, but poker is played more than any other card
game in the world.It has grown in to a sporting event, with competitions and
tournaments all around the world. Tournaments take place almost every week
of the year somewhere in the world.
The following is a basic set of instructions on getting you started in Texas
Hold'em.
The Blinds
In Texas Hold'em, a disc known as "the button" serves to indicate which
player is the nominal dealer for the current Texas Hold'em game. Before the
game begins, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small
blind", typically half a small bet (for example, $1 in a $2/$4 game). The
player immediately clockwise the small blind posts the "big blind", which
is always a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). Now, each player receives
his or her two hole cards.
Pre-Flop
After seeing his or her pocket cards, each player now has the option to
play his or her hand by calling or raising the big bet. As mentioned before,
the big bet is the size of a full small bet. Thus in a $2/$4 Texas Hold'em
game, it would cost $2 to call in this initial round of betting (known as
the "pre-flop"). In Texas Hold'em the available actions are bet, call or raise.
These options are available depending on the action taken by the previous
player. Each poker player always has the option to fold. The first player
to act has the option to bet, call or raise. Subsequent players have the option
of calling or raising. To call is to bet the same amount as the previous player
has bet. To raise is to match the previous bet and increase the bet. Now,
the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community
poker cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active
player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises occur in small
bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game). The same rules apply from above to
complete this round of poker betting. Note: The betting structure in Texas
Hold'em poker is different for each variation of Texas Hold'em. See the bottom
of this page for additional explanation of betting for Pot Limit Texas Hold'em
and No Limit Texas Hold'em. (make pot limit Texas Hold'em and no limit Texas
Hold'em anchor tags to the respective info at the bottom of page.)
The Flop
Now, three cards are dealt face-up on the board - this is known as the flop.
In Texas Hold'em, the three cards on the flop are community cards available
to all players still in the hand. Betting begins with the active player immediately
clockwise of the button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments
of $2 in a $2/$4 game). When betting action is completed for the flop round,
the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community
card in a Texas Hold'em poker game. Play begins with the active online player
immediately clockwise the button. On this round, Same rules apply as above
except that poker betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. In a
$2/$4 game, betting on the turn is done in $4 increments.
The Turn
When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt
face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Texas Hold'em.
Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise of the button. On
this round, the betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. Thus, in
a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is upped to $4.
The River
When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt
face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in a
Texas Hold'em game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise
the button and the same poker rules apply as they do in the fourth card explained
above. When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is
dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card
in a Texas Hold'em game. Betting begins with the active player immediately
clockwise of the button and the same hold'em rules apply as they do on the
turn.
The Showdown
If there is more than one remaining poker player when the final betting
round is complete playing Texas Hold'em, the last bettor or raiser shows his
or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately
clockwise the button shows his or her cards first. The player with the best
five-card hand wins the Texas Hold'em pot. In the event of identical hands,
the poker pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.
At the end of the final betting round, if there is more than one remaining
poker player, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards first. If there
was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise the button
shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins
the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided
between the players with the best hands. Texas Hold'em rules state that all
suits are equal, so split pots are more common than in other variations of
poker. After the pot is awarded, a new game of Texas Hold'em is ready to be
played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player and new hands are
dealt to each player.
