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Texas Hold ‘Em

Given that Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular poker game at the moment, it is understandable that it is the one that most new poker players will learn to play. This is not to say that Texas Hold ‘Em has always been the most popular poker game on offer but since TV and the internet has gotten fully behind poker, Texas Hold ‘Em has become the number one choice for many people.

Texas Hold ‘EmA large reason for the popularity of the game comes down to the ease of which it can be played. This means that new players can get up to speed and rules of Texas Hold ‘Em in a short space of time. This is great news for most players but there is no doubt that mastering the game takes a lot more time. While no player, not even the most experienced Texas Hold ‘Em player ever masters the game so much that they are guaranteed to win, there is a genuine opportunity for players to hone their skills.

First things first though and it is important to understand how a game of Texas Hold ‘Em is played out.

The dealer will shuffle a standard deck with 52 playing cards involved. Every player involved with the game is provided with two cards and these cards are both delivered facing down. These cards are referred to as pocket cards or hole cards.

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After every player has their hole cards, a betting round takes place. This begins with the player that is to the left of the blinds and this round is referred to as the pre-flop round. As is standard with poker play, players have the ability to fold, call or raise at this stage.

Once a betting round has been concluded, the dealer will remove the top card of the deck, which is referred to as a burn card. This is done to minimise the likelihood of cheating. After this, the dealer will then place three cards on to the table and all of these cards will be facing upwards. This is referred to as the flop and these cards are communal cards. This means that they can be utilised with the hole cards in order to create a 5 card poker hand.

The next betting round is begun with the player at the left of the dealer. Once all of the bets have been played, the dealer will burn the top card and then place another card onto the table, facing upwards. This is known as the turn.

The next round of betting is begun by the player to the left of the dealer and in many cases, the size of bets will increase, with bets doubling in size being a common feature.

Once the bets are concluded, another card is burned and another card is placed on the table, facing upwards. This is the final card to be placed facing upwards and this is known as the river. At this point, players can make a hand with the face cards on the table and the two that they have in hold.

The final round of betting then begins and if more than one player is left, we have a showdown. Players who are yet to reveal their hand will now do so, with the first player to do this being the player at the left of the final player who called. The player with the best hand is the winner.