Texas Hold 'em Poker

The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds 

The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. (In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)

Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's something to play for on every hand. This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet. 

Each player is dealt two cards, face down.

Betting Begins

A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.

The Flop / The Community

After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating. The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the "flop."

NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up on the table. Players can use any combination of the community cards and their own two cards to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.

After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.

Fourth Street / The Turn

The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the table. This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or "Fourth Street."

The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round of betting.

Fifth Street / The River

The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on the table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."

Final Betting and The Winner 

Players can now use any combination of seven cards -- the five community cards and the two cards known only to them -- to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.

The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).

After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made the last raise shows their hand first. The player with the best hand wins.


Texas Hold ‘em Poker Hand Rankings

Hand Description

• Royal Flush - A hand with A, K, Q, J and 10 all of the same suite 
• Straight Flush - A hand with all five cards in sequence and of the same suit 
• Four of a Kind - A hand with four cards of the same rank 
• Full House - A hand with three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank 
• Flush - A hand with all five cards in the same suit but not all in a sequence 
• Straight - A hand with all five cards in sequence but not all in one suit 
• Three of a Kind - A hand with three cards of the same rank 
• Two Pair - A hand with two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank 
• Pair - A hand with two cards of the same rank 
• High Card - No other combination, the value of the highest card wins 

Texas Hold 'em Poker Basic Strategy

Five of the total Seven-Cards can be seen after the flop. At this point, you will have a good indication of how strong your hand will be in the final round. Consider your cards and bets carefully. Staying for the Turn and the River demands that you either have a strong hand, a draw to a potentially winning hand, or good reason to believe that betting on a future round may cause your opponents to fold. 

As a general rule, don't continue beyond the flop without diverse possibilities - a strong pair and a decent side-card, a kicker, a straight, or flush draw. If you flop a draw, stick with it as long as the pot promises a greater payoff than the odds against making your hand.

 Although Ace-King is a terrific starting combination, it generally needs to catch a flop with either an Ace or King in it to play aggressively.

When you must act before most of your opponents, play few hands. Acting last in Hold 'em is like batting last in baseball. It's a big advantage. In fact, hands that you'd routinely fold from early position might be raising hands if you are last to act.

Carefully consider how the communal cards can interact with your two hidden pocket cards to create a winning hand.

Call it quits when necessary. You haven't lost much if you have a worthless hand and fold early in the game. It's good practice to err on the side of caution; it costs less.

Success at Texas Hold 'em demands that you be patient, pay close attention to position, and take comfort in the knowledge that good hands are run down less often than the best seven-card stud hands