Texas Holdem Rules - For Beginners

If you are a beginner at playing poker, it is important that you thoroughly understand the game's rules before you can begin to master the strategy. One of the simpler poker games is Texas Holdem poker. This is a community game of cards, wherein each player is dealt two cards. The idea of this game is to make the finest five-card poker hand, using two cards on hand (hole cards), together with five cards on the poker board.

According to Texas hold'em rules, the button moves clockwise from one player to another, following each hand. The button is indicative of which player is the dealer at that point in time, and therefore which player acts last in every betting round, except the very first one. The flow of the game is described below:

Placing The 'Blinds' As Per Texas Holdem Rules

Generally, antes are not used in Texas Holdem. Instead, the game of Texas holdem poker involves two players posting a forced bet individually, referred to as blinds. As per Texas Holdem rules, the two players sitting next to the button place a predetermined sum in the pot, known as small and big blind, respectively. The small blind is generally half the minimum bet, and the big blind the entire minimum bet.

Texas Holdem Rules - Dealing The Cards

After the blinds are placed, players are dealt two cards face down. These are known as "hole cards". The object of the game is to eventually combine these two hole cards with the five cards that will be subsequently placed face-up on the board ("community cards"), to make the best hand five-card poker hand.

Texas Holdem Rules - First Betting Round

After the cards are dealt, the first betting round begins. The player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind places the first bet and can either fold, call or raise. Folding involves simply throwing the cards into the pot, which declares the hand as dead. To call, the player has to pay an amount equivalent to the big blind. And to raise, the player has to increase the amount at stake.

Time For Flop

In accordance with Texas Holdem rules, the flop happens after the first betting round is over. Here, players are dealt three cards face up, on the middle of the poker table. These cards are then shared by every player in the hand.

Texas Holdem Rules - Betting Rounds

According to Texas hold em poker rules, in this particular round and all the following ones, the player next to the dealer's left is the first to act. He has the option to fold, bet, or check. A check delays the player's decision to bet or fold. By betting, the player gives the others a chance to fold, raise, or call. After all the players have contributed an equal sum to the pot (or folded), the next card is dealt. The fourth card dealt face-up on the table is known as the Turn

Subsequently, there are the third and fourth rounds of betting which is separated by the revealing of the fifth community card, the "river". Once these betting rounds are over, if there are still two or more players in the pot, cards are revealed, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.