HOW TO PLAY TEXAS HOLDEM POKER

Poker Rules

Texas Holdem is very popular for many reasons. The game mixes skill & luck in a very engaging way. There is also an element of risk as well as some math . Poker is a great all round game for all skill levels!

How do I win?

The winner of each hand in poker is the player with the highest hand at showdown (when all cards are shown). However, if a player makes a last uncalled bet, no showdown is required.

What is Texas Holdem Poker?

Texas Hold’em sees players trying to pull out the best cards from seven cards – two of which only they can see. Since all players share five cards (the “common” or “board”), everyone knows what the other players might have.

Here are the basic rules.

• Texas Hold’em uses a standard 52-card deck.
  
• Each player is dealt two cards, individually, face down. These are called “undercards,” “base cards” or “pocket cards.”
  
• There is an initial-betting round. Then, three community cards are dealt in the middle of the table, facing up. These are collectively known as the “flop” and all players can use these cards to form their best five cards.
  
• The next round of betting is the second round. Then, a fourth public card is dealt face up. This is called the “turn” and is followed by the third round of betting.
  
• The fifth and final public card is dealt, called the “river card.” This is followed by the final-betting round.
  
• The bottom pot is awarded to the player with the best five cards, or the last player to unfold.

Players can use any combination of their public cards and their own bottom cards to form the strongest hand and win the final hand.

How to play poker

Poker is a skill-based game that takes time to learn. There are many popular variants of this card game such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Round of Each and many more.

In most poker variants, the game starts with the first betting round, where some players can fold and others can join the action, with one or more players betting (small blind, big blind, call or raise).

After the first round of bets is met, the “flop” opens with three cards on the board and the second round of bets begins with the player who did not fold.
The action starts clockwise with the dealer pressing the button, and players either raise, pass, fold, or match the raised bet.

The player who matched the bet can also “raise” if they wish. The betting round then ends and a new card is opened on the board, called a “turn.”
Another round of betting begins in a similar manner as before and after the betting ends, the “river” card is opened on the board. The final round of betting begins, after which a “showdown” occurs and the hand is revealed, with the player with the winning hand taking the entire-betting pool.

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Poker Hands

Ranking of poker cards

In both Texas Holdem and Omaha, the ranking is the same for all suits in poker. However, players must form the best combinations to win. Poker was ranked from the highest to the lowest.

Rank	Hand name	Example	Description
1	Royal Flush	10JQKA	A Royal Flush is made out of 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, all of the same suit.
2	Straight Flush	45678	A Straight Flush is five cards in a row, all in the same suit.
3	Four of a Kind	777710	A Four of a Kind is the same card in each of the four suits.
4	Full House	KKKJJ	A Full House is a pair plus three of a kind in the same hand.
5	Flush	68Q310	A Flush is five cards in the same suit, not in numerical order.
6	Straight	678910	A Straight is five cards in numerical order, but not in the same suit.
7	Three of a Kind	KKK37	Three of a Kind is three of one card and two non-paired cards.
8	Two Pair	AA44Q	Two Pair is two different pairings or sets of the same card in one hand.
9	One Pair	55Q86	One Pair is a pairing of the same card.
10	High Card	A7842	A High Card refers to a hand with no matching cards.

Note

Leaders and Kickers
The best hand at the table may be held by more than one player. Here, use the “kicker” to break the tie – the next biggest card in the hand.

For example, a player with a pair of nines and a king, eight and five will beat a player with a pair of nines next to a jack, eight and five.
If the kicker also ties, the next highest card determines the winner, and if all cards are tied, the pot is divided equally among the winning players.

Understanding hand rankings is your first step on the road to becoming a winning poker player. Knowing the best hands will help you win more, beat your friends at home, and become a better player

Betting Works in Texas Holdem

Almost all poker games have bet rounds, so these rules can be applied to most of the poker games you will encounter.

• The table bets clockwise, usually starts with the player to the left of the “dealer” button.
• If there are no callable bets, the player may “pass” (i.e., not bet) or bet on any number of chips
• If a bet has been placed, the player may “fold” (fold and wait for the next deal), “call” (match the number of chips placed), or “raise” (increase the bet amount) (then any original bettor or caller must call).
• If any chips are wagered, all players must match that number of chips to stay in the hand.
• If a player does not have enough chips to call, they may put in the remaining chips.
• A raise must be at least the amount of the initial bet (raise $5, then raise at least $5 more).
• Texas Hold’em is primarily played as an unlimited-betting game, which means that any player can place all of their bets when it is their turn to act.

Frequently Asked Question

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