Texas Hold'em Poker

>> Texas Hold'em introduction

Texas Hold'em is the most popular of the community card poker variants. In this game you are dealt two personal cards which you combine with any of the five community cards to make your best five card hand. Typically there can be up to 10 players in a game.

>> How to play Texas Hold'em

The aim of the game is to match up your two cards with the community cards to make the best possible hand:

Player's pocket cards	Community cards	The best hand is 3 of a kind (sevens).

Player's pocket cards	Community cards	The best hand is a flush from using just the community cards.

>> Structure of game

1. Blinds
The player to the left of the dealer must place a small blind (half minimum bet) and the next player to the left must place the big blind (minimum bet). After each game ends the dealer (indicated by the dealer's button) moves one place to the left. The reason blinds are compulsory is to ensure there's a pot to play for.

2. Cards Dealt
Beginning with the person left of the dealer everyone recieves two face down cards, which are private and they will only (possibly) be revealed at the showdown.

3. 1st Betting Round
Based on their 2 cards players must then place their bets. Beginning with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. On their turn players can:

• Call (match the current bet)
• Raise (increase the bet)
• Fold (give up & forfeit any bets placed)

This continues all round the table until all the players who wish to stay in the game have the same bets on the table. There can be a maximum of 1 bet and 3 raises in each round of Texas Hold em betting.

4. The Flop (3 community cards)
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck (this is called burning the card) and is done to help prevent cheating. The dealer then flips the next thee cards face up on the table. These cards are called "the flop" and are commumity cards which can be used by all players (note there will be 5 community cards at the end of the game).

5. 2nd Betting Round
The player to the left of the dealer (the button). Begins another round of betting, during this and all future rounds of betting, on their turn players can:

• Check (if no one has raised, the player can keep their bet as it is)
• Call
• Raise
• Fold

This continues all round the table until all the players who wish to stay in the game have the same bets on the table.

6. The Turn (4th community card)
The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up card onto the table called the "Turn" (also referred as "Fourth Street").

7. 3rd Betting Round
As in stage 5, but the minimum raise is now increased to the higher limit.

8. The River (5th community card)
The dealer burns another card and plays the final community card, the "River" (also referred as "Fifth Street").

9. Final Betting Round & Showdown
Players can now use any combination of seven cards, the five community cards and their 2 hole cards (known only to them) to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.

The 4th and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (using the higher minimum limit). After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The last person to bet or raise then shows their cards. The best hand wins the pot.

>> Get luckier at Texas Hold'em

Poker players have always believed that Poker is a game of skill rather than luck - but I would say luck is itself a skill, and you'll soon find your luck improves when you stop doing some of the common mistakes:

Don't play with weak hands
Many players will play any two suited cards from any position and they will play an Ace with any small kicker. These hands are losers in the long run and you should avoid getting into the habit of playing them. They are traps that will cost you money.

The blind is not a bet
Also the similar mistake is when players place down a blind they feel they must defend it by playing a marginal hand.