Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics)

[GETT1NLOTS]

Texas holdem rules Hold'em, also known as Texas Hold'em, is widespread poker game. Each player is dealt with two cards facedown (e.g. hole cards) and five cards dealt face up. Players are using their best five cards gathering any combinations using hole cards (two cards dealt facedown) and five cards dealt openly. Each player's five-card hand competes with other players' hands. The best five-card hand among all players wins the pot. Betting Betting starts right after two hole cards are dealt to each player. These cards, dealt facedown are unique to each player. Three flop cards (also known as flop) are dealt in the center and are called "community cards", which active player uses to modify his hand. After this, game proceeds with the second betting round. The fourth "community" card (also known as the turn card) is dealt in the center of the table and is followed by the third betting round. The final card dealt during the game is also known as "river" card. It is dealt in the center of table and followed by the fourth and final round of betting. The "turn" and the "river" are both community cards, so are used by all players in the game. Showdown takes place after all bets are in. All remaining players (also called "active" players) are showing their hands. The best hand then wins the pot. In the that there is only one player remaining after any of Texas Holdem rounds - the showdown is canceled and the pot is awarded to that remaining player. All players use can use their hole cards combined with community cards to gather the best five-card-hand. They can use both, one or none of the hole cards (two cards dealt facedown) ,that they started with. In the case where a player used none of the two blind (hole) cards - he/she plays the "board". The order of play in more detail Players are dealt with two cards facedown each. First betting round occurs. Dealer turns the flop (three community cards) face-up. Second betting round occurs. The "turn" (fourth community card) is dealt. Third betting round occurs. The "river" (fifth and final community card) is dealt. Final betting round occurs. Showdown. At the showdown common Texas Holdem rules are indicating such variants of cards usage: -three flop cards and both hole cards -four flop cards and one of hole cards -only flop cards are used (the board is played) Check and raise leads are allowed in all of Texas Holdem games, except of the first betting round. In the first round a player is allowed to either to bet or fold. The Dealer always holds the seat at the top of the table and deals all players. Dealer's position (also known as dealer's button) starts at dealer's left and proceeds clockwise one player after each hand. Burning Card Burning Card - the dialer burns (cancels) one card at the beginning of each betting round. Unlike land-based rooms, online software includes effects of burning cards. Dealer Button Dealer Button is a yellow disk labeled with a "D" letter, which moves clockwise round the table from player to player at the beginning of each hand. It is used to identify the current position of dealer, as if the player against it were actually dealing the cards. Such a position is widely known "to be on the button". After each hand completed, the button moves one position to the left. Meaning that if you were "on the button" it will move to the player on to your left. Blinds In other poker games this is often called the ante. In Texas Holdem only two players are forced to put money in (The ante / blind) prior to any cards being dealt. One player has to put in the 'big blind' - one player has to put in the 'small blind'. In other words one player has to put in a big ante and the other player puts in half that amount - the small ante. In order for other players to continue into the game they will have to match the big blind (big ante). Even the player who has put in the small blind has to stump up the other half of the big blinds forced bet in order to stay active in the game. Different Bets Fold - to throw your two hole cards in and admit defeat. Check - to place no additional bet because there is no blind / ante to meet and no one has raised / bet in that round yet. Call - to match the last raisers bet in order to see the next round and remain active. Raise - to bet first in a round. Re-Raise - to bet even more than the last player who raised forcing everyone to match this new bet in order to stay active in the game. Betting Order Texas Holdem game is always dealt in a specific order. Betting has specific order too: Blinds are the forced bets made by players to the left from the dealer button. There is a possibility to bet the big blind, which should be bet to the left from blind. Determining missing blinds, you should know that Texas Holdem players are required to post the small and the big blinds once per round, or their equivalent for re-entry to the game, in case if the blinds were missed. You will be prompted by software (if online) in case you missed your blind payment obligations (some newbies try to mkiss their blinds in order to see their two hole cards for free (cheeky beggers!). In the beginning of the first round, after all players in blind positions have made their blind deposits to the pot, each player is dealt with two hole cards. At this time each player can see the cards, except of the opponents' cards, of course. Only first round betting starts with the player to the left of the big blind. This player has opportunity to call, fold or rise. On the first round, that player, who is on the small blind position is allowed to act after the button. The player on the big blind position acts following that of the small one. Right after the betting round starts, you are owed to select one of the following options: raise/check, call or fold. The Holdem player who has the big blind is able to rise, call, check or fold on his turn. The big blind is able to check or rise if nobody rises during the turn. The betting is started with the first active player on the left side of the dialer button. This player has three choices - check, bet or fold. All succeeding players have the same choices until someone bets / raises. After the bet is made, succeeding players have one of three choices - call, fold or re-raise. After all betting is done and there is more than one player still in the game for the pot, the showdown determines the winner. The last opening or rising player is allowed to show their cards first, while any of other players can fold - drop his cards face-down, which means that they have lost.

[Guest alien syndm]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Fcuk sake gett1n, I mean talk about cut n paste. Imagine trying to pass all that off as your own, I mean you haven't changed a single thing or anything I mean, fcuk sake gett1n :lol

[Jezza]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) :rollin

[Mr Intensity]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) When do we get the next installment? I love poker, but don't know the traditional strategies or anything :\ .

[Mr Intensity]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Just found exactly what I wanted at the other place ;)

[Norfolk Enchance]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Just re-stuck this I reckon the best thing you could do Mr I is read a couple of good poker books ;)

[Jezza]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Mr I (or anyone else wondering about poker) : There is a lot of poker theory that anyone playing for money should know really - it is quite long winded and many different strategies/thinking processes should be adopted for different games which make it difficult to cover here. However the best thing to have by far in poker is experience. You can play at some extremely low stakes on the internet if you are just learning and I would really recommend this as a good place to start out. Cheap tourneys as low as 1 dollar a go are great as well. If you have any questions at all on any aspect of how to play a hand or indeed any other aspect of poker then just post it up here and we will give our views on it to hopefully help you out :ok Check out the book thread if reading (and I really do recommend it to become a good poker player) is your thing Jez

[Winrew]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Can anyone recommend a decent book for a novice ( just to get the basics ):\

[Norfolk Enchance]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Sklansky's book - The Theory of Poker is probably the best in that it covers pretty much everything. I read Cloutier and McEvoy's book - Championship pot limit/no limit hold em after Jezza recommended it and it is a very good read. There will be a book thread in here somewhere Winrew if you look back a bit :) Also play some very low stakes single table tournies once you know the basics, nothing like the real thing for learning.

[anothermugpunter]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) I've got a question. Say for example the community cards deal a flush (i.e all 5 up cards are of the same suit). Now, if I only have one of that suit and for example lets say it's the 5 of hearts. If the other guy has two hearts, will I loose? Sorry if it's a basic question but this happened to me yesterday. Whenever I hunt for the rules it just says something along the lines of "the best hand from the seven cards". I know in the case of four suited cards being turned over and lets say I have the 5, I will loose to a 6 upwards. But what about all 5??? Thanks for your help. AMP

[Norfolk Enchance]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Nice to see you about AMP.

Say for example the community cards deal a flush (i.e all 5 up cards are of the same suit). Now, if I only have one of that suit and for example lets say it's the 5 of hearts. If the other guy has two hearts, will I loose?

You both make your best five card hand so it doesn't matter if he has two hearts and you have one. It comes down to who has the highest heart in their hand. The exception to this would be if all the community cards were higher than both yours and your opponents hearts - in this case it would be a split pot. E.g. If the community cards are 4h 5h Ah 9h 7h, you hold a Qh and he holds a 2h and a Jh then you have the best five card hand and the highest flush. Your hand is AQ975 suited His hand is AJ975 suited Does that make sense?

[anothermugpunter]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) Thanks for that Norfolk. Makes sense - playing at the mo. Good luck. Amp

[Sir Puntalot]

Re: Texas Holdem - How to Play (The Basics) For all those novices, who don't know which hand beats which (yes that includes me :() Here you go...... http://www.learn-texas-holdem.com/t...nd-rankings.htm Courtesy of Norfolk Enchance. :ok