How to Play Poker/Texas Hold’em

How to Play Poker / Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em has been around for decades and is one of the most popular card games in the world. With the start of the World Series of Poker on ESPN, the game swept the nation, bringing high stakes poker games to casinos across the country. However, you don’t need to be Chris Moneymaker or Phil Ivey to enjoy a game of classic Texas Hold’em, all you need is a few friends or an internet connection and you could be a card shark before the day is over.

Learn the basics of Texas Hold’em here.

Here’s how a typical game of Hold ‘Em is played:

THE “PRE-FLOP”

Players begin by “posting” or betting blinds and antes so that the game starts with something in the pot.

A standard 52 card deck is shuffled and each player is dealt two “hole” or “pocket” cards. Keep the cards face down, only you should be able to see your own cards.

A first round of betting begins based on the hand each player currently holds. The betting starts with the person to the LEFT of the dealer, and goes around until everyone has finished betting. This round is known as the “pre-flop”. After the first round of betting has ended, the dealer with discard or “burn” the first card on the deck.

ROUND 1 – THE FLOP

Now comes the flop – the dealer will flip the first three cards in the deck and place them face up on the table. These cards can be used with each players own cards to start forming a successful hand.

Another round of betting starts, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left.

ROUND 2 – THE TURN

Once the second betting round is over, the dealer burns another card and turns the next one face up next to the first three cards. This is the second round and is called the “turn”.

Start another round of betting, just the same as before.

ROUND 3 – THE RIVER

The dealer burns one more card and flips the next one face up on the table next to the “turn” card. This final card is called the “river” and is the final card in this game. Now, you’ll see 5 cards on the table that you can use with your own cards to form a successful hand.

Now that all cards are on the table, players will enjoy one final round of betting.

THE SHOWDOWN

Now comes the showdown – if all players haven’t already folded, each remaining player will flip over their cards to reveal their best hand. The player with the best combination of their own cards and the cards on the table will win the pot. If two or more players have the same hand, the pot is split between them.

Now that you’ve learned the basics, you can enjoy one of the most popular card games on the planet. Start mini tournaments with your friends, practice and build up your game online, and maybe even hit a few casinos and make some extra cash. Of course, I recommend you practice before you start betting real money.