Texas Hold'em Poker

The world's favourite Poker game

Even if you turn out to be the biggest Poker talent the world has ever seen, you are best off starting at the bottom. Playing low stakes limit games or tournaments is a good way to get a lot of hands under your belt without taking too big a risk. Sure limit games can be tricky and lacks the element of bluffing, but as a newcomer bluffing is probably not the thing to try. Limit games are much more controlled and less risky to experiment a little with. And as in all things, experimentation is a good way to learn fast.

Watch and learn

Click on the picture to start the video tutorial

Watch the video tutorial on the left and learn the basics of playing Texas Hold'em. The video will open up in Windows media player in large screen mode. Courtesy of PartyPoker. If you want to test your skills then join up at one of the following recomended Poker Casinos.

A Quick Guide to Texas Hold’em

The Basics

Texas Hold’em is a community card game, meaning that some cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table and shared by all players. Each player is dealt two pocket or hole cards which they consider with the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand. The person who is dealt last is regarded as the dealer and as such is marked with a dealer button. At the end of the hand the button is passed clockwise to the next player.

First round – the Pre Flop, dealing the cards
When the blind bets are placed, the dealer gives out two cards to each player. The dealer deals clockwise. The two cards are called “hole cards” or “pocket cards”. After this the players choose if they would like to make a bet. The person after the big blind starts. In the first round you cannot “Check”, but you can do any of the following: Bet, Call, Raise or Fold. All players shall put the same amount in for the game in order to continue. So if one player raises, the other players must either call or re-raise, or fold (drop out of the round).

Second round – the Flop
Dealer turns three cards on the table – the Flop. These three cards are community cards and can be used in combination with the two hidden cards each player has in his/her hand. The remaining players now start the second round of bidding. The first player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding round. The following actions can now be taken: Check, Bet/Raise, Call or Fold. All players must put the same amount into the pot, or fold before the round has ended. The same rules apply for both the bidding and the raising in each round from now on.

Third round - the turn
The dealer now displays the fourth community card on the table, so all players have six cards to play with. A round of betting now takes place.

Fourth and final round – the river
The fifth and last community card on the table is displayed. A round of betting now takes place.

The showdown
In all, five of the seven cards can be used. This means that each player can form the best possible five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five community cards on the table. You don’t even have to use any of your own cards if you don’t want to. You can “play the board” if the best hand is shown there. The remaining players now show their cards, and the winner is found. If a player shows his/her cards and you are not able to beat these cards, you choose yourself if you want to show your cards or not.

Starting hand Value
Your two pocket cards, or hole cards, are the only factors that separate your hand from the other players’ hands. So learning how to play them is vital. An AA (ace-ace) combo simply has a much greater chance of winning than say a 7-3 combo. Play the good starting hands. Fold the bad. Combinations can however change between good and bad (and back) according to your position in the game. See ‘Position play’ below.

You can play for free at most of the Poker sites listed here at Casino House and it is a good way to get some hands on experience at Poker playing under your belt. Once you are familiar with the rules then it's time to to move on and play for real as spending too much time at the free games might become a handicap to you as players players bet like mad at these tables as there is no cash involved. Try to play at Low Limit tables like William Hill Poker which have very low limits - with blinds from just a few pennies, so your funds should be safe for a while and you are learning to play for real.

Position play

In a Poker game being seated in “late position” is a huge advantage. In this position you get to see your opponents make their moves before you make yours. To become a good player one must learn to take full advantage of playing in late position.

Fold
No matter the betting round, if you have nothing and can’t draw to anything, fold faster than Superman on laundry day, if you don’t feel like bluffing of course!

Texas Hold'em Rules

Texas Hold'em is arguably the most popular form of poker. It is widely considered to have the most strategy of all poker games, yet the rules are quite simple. Here is how a hand of Texas Hold'em is played:

1. Hole Cards. Each player is dealt two cards face down.
2. The Flop. Three cards are dealt face up on the table.
3. The Turn. A fourth card is dealt to the table.
4. The River. Finally, a fifth card is dealt to the table.

The five cards on the table are community cards. Your hand is formed by taking the best poker hand you can by using any five out of the seven cards (5 community + 2 hole cards). But remember, all the players have access to the community cards. When played for money, there is a round of betting after a round of cards is dealt (so four rounds of betting in total).

Example #1

In this example, you have a flush, because you can use the three clubs on the board with the two
in your hand.

Example #2

In this example, you have a King pair with Queen Kicker. The kicker is very important, because you would beat a player holding KJ or K5, but you would lose to a player with AK.

Example #3

In this example, you have a straight to the king, by using all the community cards and none of your hole cards. But just remember, everyone else has a straight too. How could you win the entire pot in this situation, instead of splitting it? You might bet and pretend you have an ace. However, if someone else really does have the Ace, you would be raised and put into an awkward situation.