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Texas Hold'em is the origin of all poker games. It's easy to learn and fun to play.
Even cowboys could do it. Years ago they played this game in Texas and the winner would get the other guy's guns. The losers became cowboys with no gun.
Today, millions of people world wide play this game everyday. The New York Times estimated that there are an estimated 50 to 60 million Americans play this game and the number is fast growing. The reason, as mentioned above, it's an easy-to-learn and exciting-to-play game.
If you have ever watched poker on TV, chances are that you've seen Texas Holdem. In movies, James Bond plays this game in order to catch the bad guys. Just watch the Casino Royale movie, you'll know what this means.
Anyway, if you are new to the game, just read it through.
The Setup:
In Texas Holdem, each player is dealt two personal cards, face down, called "pocket" or "hole" cards. In addition, there are five face-up community cards that can be used by all players. Each player makes his/her poker hand by using the best five among the seven cards.
To indicate which person is the dealer from round to round, a disc or other such marker, called the "button", is placed in front of them. To start the action, the person to the left of the dealer posts the small blind, a forced bet usually half of the minimum bet. The next person to the left posts the big blind, a forced bet equal to the minimum bet. These two bets are called "blind" because they are posted before the two players look at their cards.
Betting Structure:
For pre-Flop and the Flop betting: a player can call, raise or fold. In order to call, the player must place a bet that is equal to the previous bet. For example, if the Big Blind is $1, the call is now $1. Players are given the option to call the present bet (place $1 into the pot), to raise the bet (place $2 into the pot), or to fold (place nothing into the pot). Players who fold are out of the game until the next deal.
For the Turn and the River betting: all other betting rounds afterward starts with the first player to the left of the dealer button. In the fixed limit game, the bet in these rounds is twice as much as in the first round. For example, if the bet in the first round is $1, the betting in these rounds is $2. Players now have the option to check (to pass on the betting without folding), or to bet (place $2 into the pot). After a player bets, other players can no longer check, but can instead call (place $2 into the pot), raise
A round concludes when all players have taken action. In a fixed limit game, when the maximum number of raises (usually 3) has been reached, it's called "cap" (place $4 into the pot), or fold (place nothing into the pot).
Start of Game
The Hole Cards:
Each player sitting at the table is dealt with 2 hole cards.
The pre-Flop betting (see Betting Structure) starts.
The Flop:
After the pre-Flop betting is completed, the dealer takes the top card and sets it aside (called "burning"), and then places the three community cards face up on the table. This is called the Flop.
The betting for the Flop (see Betting Structure) starts.
The Turn:
After the betting for the Flop is completed, another card is burned. The dealer then places the fourth community face up on the table. This is called the "4th Street" or the "Turn".
The betting for the Turn (see Betting Structure) starts.
The River:
After the betting for the Turn is completed, another card is burned. The fifth and final community card is placed face up. This is known as the "5th Street" or the "River".
The betting for the River (see Betting Structure) starts.
The Show Down:
After the betting for the River is completed. The remaining players turn up their pocket cards, this is called Show Down.
The highest five card poker hand (see Hand Ranking) that can be made using any combination of the available seven cards (a player’s two hole cards and the five community cards) wins the pot. If there is a tie, then every player who is tied divides the pot evenly between them.
After the hand is finished, the dealer Button moves clockwise to the next player, who becomes the dealer and another play begins.
End of Game
Game Limits:
In Texas Hold’em, there are two different game limits, Fixed Limit (or simply Limit) and No Limit (NL). The basic rules for both are the same, but the betting methods are different.
Fixed Limit: In Limit Holdem, bets and raises are set at a predetermined amount. For example, in a $10/$20 game, the small blind is $5, half the minimum bet, and $10 is the big blind. Bets and raises on preflop and flop betting are made in $10 increments. On the turn and river betting rounds, betting is in increments twice that of the first two streets, $20 a bet.
No Limit: In NL Holdem, bets and raises can be made of any amount. The minimum bet is the size of the big blind. The maximum bet is everything on front of that player. When players bet the maximum, it's called going "All In," meaning they have bet all of their money. For the other players to call they must match their opponent’s bet, up to and including going all in themselves. This is the type of game limit you see on the World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker Main Event, or James Bond in Casino Royale.
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