OBJECTIVE: To become a winner you should make up the highest possible poker hand of five cards, using the two initially dealt cards and the five community cards.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10 players
NUMBER OF CARDS: 52- deck cards
RANK OF CARDS: A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2
How to Win at Texas Holdem Poker Up until the 2000s, seven card stud was the dominant form of poker throughout many parts of the world. But this changed during the poker boom of the mid 2000s, when Texas holdem became the preferred game for every major tournament.
- In the poker game of Texas hold 'em, a starting hand consists of two hole cards, which belong solely to the player and remain hidden from the other players. Five community cards are also dealt into play. Betting begins before any of the community cards are exposed, and continues throughout the hand. The player's 'playing hand', which will be compared against that of each competing player, is the best 5.
- Each player gets one card at a time until each player has two cards, both face down. These are known as your hole cards and they are for your use alone when making your final 5-card poker hand. A round of Texas Hold’em consists of a minimum of one and a maximum of four betting rounds. A hand ends when all players but one have folded.
- In every hand of Texas hold ‘em, the cards are dealt from one 52 card deck. I play in a home game where we use two decks of different colored backs, usually red and blue. While we are playing a hand with one deck, the other is being shuffled in preparation for the next hand.
- Your best Texas Holdem hands will be made by using your hole cards and the five cards in the middle to make the best possible five card poker hand. So, for example, if you have 9-9 and the shared cards are 9-9-A-5-2 you have four-of-a-kind. If the shared cards were J-Q-K-7-2 you would only have two nines.
THE DEAL: Every player is dealt two cards face down which is commonly called ‘hole cards’.
TYPE OF GAME: Casino
AUDIENCE: Adults
Introduction to Texas Hold ‘Em
No Limit Texas Hold’em. Sometimes called the cadillac of Poker, Texas Hold ‘em is a fairly easy game to learn but can take years to master.
How to Play
To begin every player gets two pocket cards. A deck of cards is placed in the middle of the table and these are known as community deck and these are the cards that the flop will be dealt from.
Once all players have been dealt their initial two cards players will be asked to place their first bid. Once all players have placed their first bid a second round of bidding occurs.
Once all players have placed their final bids, the dealer will deal the flop. The dealer will flip over the first 3 cards, known as the “flop”, from the community deck. The goal is to make the best 5 card had you can with the three cards from the community deck and the two in your hand.
Once the first three cards have been flipped over, player will have the option to bid again or fold. After all players have had a chance to bid or fold, the dealer will flip over a fourth card known as a “turn” card.
The players still remaining will have the option to once again fold or bid. Now the dealer will flip the 5th and final card over, known as the “river”card.
Once all five cards have been flipped by the dealer, players will have one last chance to raise the bid or fold. Once all bids and count bids have been made it’s time for the players to reveal their hands and determine a winner.
First Round Betting: The Pre-Flop
When playing Texas hold ‘em a round flat chip or “disk” is used to represent the position of the dealer. This disk is placed in front of the dealer to indicate their status. The person sitting to dealer left is known as the small blind and the person sitting to the left of the small blind is known as the big blind.
When betting, both blinds are required to post a bet before receiving any cards. The big blind is required to post the equivalent or higher of the bet placed by the small blind. Once both blinds have posted their bids two cards are dealt to each player and remaining players can choose to fold, call, or raise. After the end of the game the dealer button is moved to the left so that every player takes on the blind position at some point to maintain the fairness of the game.
How Many Cards Do You Get In Texas Hold'em
Fold – The action of surrendering your cards to the dealer and sitting out the hand. If one folds their cards in the first round of betting, they lose no money.
Call – The action of matching the table bet, which is the most recent bet that has been placed on the table.
Raise – The action of doubling the amount of the most recent bet.
The small and the big blind have the option to fold, call, or raise before the first round of betting ends. If either of them choose to fold, they will lose the blind bet that they initially placed.
Second Round Betting: The Flop
After the first round of betting ends the dealer will proceed to deal the flop. Once the flop has been dealt, players will access the strength of their hands. Again, the player to the left of the dealer is the first to act.
Since there is no compulsory bet on the table, the first player has the option to to take the three previous options discussed, call, fold, raise, as well as the option to check. To check, a player taps his hand twice on the table, this allows the player to pass the option to make the first bet on to the player to his left. All players have the option to check until a bet has been placed on the table. Once a bet has been placed, players must choose to either fold, call, or raise.
Third & Fourth Round Betting: The Turn & The River
After the second round of betting closes, the dealer will deal the fourth card of the flop, known as the turn card. The player to dealer left has the option to check or place a bet. The player that opens the bet closes the bet, after all other players have chosen to fold, raise, or call.
The dealer will then add the bets to the existing pot and deal a fifth card known as “The River”. Once this card has been dealt, the remaining players have the option to check,fold, call, or raise. Lets say all players decide to check. If that is the case it is time for all remaining players to reveal there cards and determine the winner. The player with the highest ranking hand is the winner. They receive the full pot and a new game begins.
Ties
In the chance of a tie between hands the following tie-breakers are used:
Pairs– if two players are tied for highest pairs a “kicker” or the next highest-ranking card is used to determine the winner. You continue until one player has a higher-ranking card or both are determined to have the same exact hand, in which case the pot is split.
Two pairs– in this tie, the higher ranked pair wins, if top pairs are equal in rank you move to the next pair, then move to kickers if necessary.
Three of a kind – higher ranking card takes the pot.
Straights – the straight with the highest-ranking card wins; if both straights are the same the pot is split.
Flush – The flush with the highest-ranking card wins, if the same you move to the next card till a winner is found or hands are the same. If hands are the same split the pot.
Full house – the hand with the higher ranking three cards wins.
Four of a kind – the higher ranking set of four wins.
Straight flush – ties are broken the same as a regular straight.
Royal Flush – split the pot.
Hand Ranking
2. Pair – Two of the same the same card (9,9,6,4,7)
3. Two pair – Two pairs of the same card (K,K,9,9,J)
How Many Cards Do You Get In Texas Holdem
4. Three of a kind – Three cards of the same ( 7,7,7,10,2)
6. Flush – Five cards of the same suit
7. Full House – Three card of a kind and a pair (A,A,A,5,5)
9. Straight Flush – Five cards in order all of the same suit (4,5,6,7,8 – same suit)
10. Royal Flush – Five cards in order of the same suit 10- A (10,J,Q,K,A)