So you want to learn how to play Texas Hold’em Poker? According to the pros, youve made a good choice. Texas hold’em is quick and easy to learn, and a new player can play pretty well with only a couple of hours of practice. The game runs like this: Step one is betting, which can vary in structure. Sometimes antes are used, and sometimes the two players to the left of the dealer just toss in a predetermined amount in an action called “post the blinds”, just to get things started. Step two is the dealer shuffling the deck. Easy so far, right? Step three is when each player is dealt two cards, face down on the table.
These are your hole cards or pocket cards. Step four is a round of betting, starting with the guy (or gal) after the two who posted the blinds. This round is referred to as the “pre-flop” (learn about the flop in a minute) bandarqq.
The amount that a player can bet depends on the game. Like most other games of poker, the players can check, raise, or fold on their turn. For step five in Texas hold, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is done to prevent cheating, and the card is referred to as the “burn card”. Next (this is step six), the dealer flips the top three cards face-up on the table. These cards are the “flop” (remember pre-flop betting?).
The three cards are communal cards and anyone can use the three in conjunction with the cards in their hand to create a five-card poker hand and, hopefully, win. Step seven is the next round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. When the betting concludes, step eight ensues. The dealer burns another card, and then flips the next top card onto the table. This card is called the turn card, and all six cards (the four on the table and the two in your hand) can be used to form a poker hand. Step nine is yet another round of betting, and in many games the bet will double at this point. I’ll bet that the pot is looking mighty tempting right now. Step ten, the dealer burns a third card, and places the final card of the game face-up on the table. You can use any combination of the seven cards which you have access to, to form a five card poker hand. This fourth face-up card is called the river card, and leads into step eleven: you guessed it. More betting! After the last round of betting is done (starting with the player to the left of the dealer), step twelve, which is the final step, begins. All players remaining in the game show their hands, starting with the player to the left of the last player to call. This round is called the showdown, and can be very dramatic. This is doubly true if you have a lot of cash as stake on your hand. Players use a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards to form their five-card poker hands, and the player with the highest hand wins!
The winning hands are the same for any poker game, and rankings can be found online, in gambling books, and even as an insert in many packs of cards. For a quick overview, though, from highest to lowest: · Royal Straight Flush · Straight Flush · Four of a Kind · Full house · Flush · Straight · Three of a Kind · Two Pairs · Pair · High Card Now that you have the basic rules down, the best tip you can take is to practice. Grab your friends and teach them to play, play in online Texas hold’em game rooms (but make sure it’s a free game for fake money at first), and eventually, even try a few low limit games at a casino. Once you have a feel for how the game runs in addition to simply memorizing the rules, you can check out more advanced strategies and place some bigger batches. Some things to think about include the number of players in the game.
The more competition there is, the higher the chance that someone else has a pocket that matches the flop. Watch out for aggressive players; there are some people who seem to bet for the sake of betting. Unless you have a solid hand, you might lose more than you stand to gain by competing with him. If the makings of a straight flops, play for the high end, not the low (also known as the “ignorant”) end. Your tolerance for risk is a direct indicator of how you will bet, so go with your gut and what feels comfortable to you. If you tend toward being a more aggressive player, learn to use that to your advantage. Study the players around you and get to know their facial cues or other indicative gestures. Also, it might be a good idea to let yourself get caught bluffing once in a while if the stakes are not too high. You might lose a few chips, but in the long run the other players will think they have you pegged, and you can bluff your way through a higher pot. No matter what your style of play, a little practice and some tips from the pros will have you playing like a master in no time. Poker is a fun game, and once you learn the ropes on one style, you might want to move on to other variations as well. Best of luck.
