Texas Holdem

So what exactly is texas holdem poker? The game texas holdem is a variation of seven card stud. It is very similar to Omaha, but with fewer betting rounds. Texas Hold 'Em Poker was invented to speed up the game and allow more players to participate at the same time.

One of the most important points to learn when playing texas holdem poker is the relative strengths of the starting hands. Although this will not instantly turn you into a great player it will give you a basis from where to start.

There are 169 possible 2 card starting hands but only 42 are worth considering under most circumstances. If you are not dealt one of these 42 hands then you will probably save money in the long run by folding and waiting for the next hand.

Texas Holdem is the most popular casino card game by far
Texas Holdem is a "community card" game, meaning that some cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table and shared by all the players. Each player has two down cards that are theirs alone, and combines them with the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand.

Play begins by dealing two cards face down to each player; these are known as "hole cards" or "pocket cards". This is followed by a round of betting. Most Holdem games get the betting started with one or two "blind bets" to the left of the dealer. These are forced bets which must be made before seeing one's cards. Play proceeds clockwise from the blinds, with each player free to fold, call the blind bet, or raise. Usually the blinds are "live", meaning that they may raise themselves when the action gets back around to them.

Now three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table; this is called the "flop". A round of betting ensues, with action starting on the first blind, immediately to the dealers left. Another card is dealt face up (the "turn"), followed by another round of betting, again beginning to the dealer's left. Then the final card (the "river") is dealt followed by the final round of betting. In a structured-limit game, the bets on the turn and river are usually double the size of those before and on the flop.

The game is usually played for high only, each player making the best five-card combination to compete for the pot. Players usually use both their hole cards to make their best hand, but this is not required. A player may even choose to "play the board" and use no hole cards at all. Identical five-card hands split the pot; the sixth and seventh cards are not used to break ties.

Poker rules - Texas Holdem Rules

Also called Hold Me, and Hold Me Darling, texas holdem poker is Omaha in stepped-up form, due to a reduction of the betting rounds. Each player is dealt two down cards and there is an immediate round of betting, beginning at the dealer's left on the strength of those two cards alone. Generally, a player will stay on a pair, two parts of a straight flush, two toward a flush, or two toward a fairly high straight, while in a low-limit, some will chance it with a high card like an ace or a king, regardless of the other card.

Next, three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These are known as the flop and belong to every player. Thus each player, with his own two cards and the three mutuals in the flop, already has the equivalent of a five-card poker hand. A betting round follows and may prove spirited if a high pair shows in the flop, as a player holding a pair of his own will figure that he has a good chance for a full house. Straight and flush prospects in the flop are also conducive to strong betting.

Next a fourth up card is dealt, followed by a betting round; and then a fifth up cards, followed by a final betting round. Each player who calls forms a five card hand from his own down cards and the mutual up cards, just as in Omaha or its parent game of seven-card stud. In all, there are only four betting rounds and the big test comes on the last two, which may make or break a player's prospects for a winning hand.