Texas Hold'em Poker
Texas Hold'Em is the most popular form of poker today. It is played in casinos, on kitchen tables, and even on the Internet. Texas Hold'Em requires players to use both mathematical and psychological skills to outwit their opponents.
Rules
Texas Hold'Em is played with 2-10 players at a table. One player is designated the dealer or button (often indicated by a white disc placed in front of the player). The dealer has the advantage of acting last during most betting rounds. Before the cards are dealt, two players must place a forced or blind bet in the pot. The player to the immediate left of the dealer is called the small blind, and the player two seats to the left of the dealer is called the big blind. Typically, the big blind is twice the amount of the small blind (for example, if the small blind is $1, the big blind is $2).
The dealer will give a card, face down, to each of the players, starting with the small blind, and rotate clockwise until each player has a down card. Then the dealer will give a second down card in the same order.
Preflop
The first betting round is called the preflop round. The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (often referred to as under the gun or one-hole). Each player has the option of folding, calling the Big Blind, or raising. The action moves clockwise, with each person having the option to fold, call or raise. The betting round ends when all players have either: a) folded or b) called the most recent raise. If only one player remains at any point during the hand, the hand is over and the pot is awarded to the remaining player.
The Flop
If there are at least two players still in the pot, the dealer will put out three community cards in the middle of the table (the flop), face up. These cards are shared by everyone at the table. A second betting round ensues, with the first player to the left of the button acting first. This player has only two options: a) check, meaning he declines to bet, or b) bet. If he checks, the next player has the same two options. If he bets, the next player has three options: fold, call or raise.
The Turn
If at least two players remain after the flop, the dealer puts a fourth community card (the turn or fourth street) on the table. Another betting round ensues, similar to the betting after the flop.
The River
If at least two players remain after the turn, the dealer puts a fifth community card (the river or fifth street) on the table. A final betting round ensues.
The Showdown
If at least two players remain after the river, the players must show their hole cards to determine who has the winning hand (the showdown). The winner is the player who can make the best five-card poker hand from the seven cards available to him (his two hole cards plus the five community cards). If there is a tie between two or more players, it is a split pot and the chips are distributed evenly among the tied players.
When the next hand is dealt, the dealer button rotates clockwise to the next player. This ensures fairness by requiring everyone to post the blinds during a session.
Rake
Casinos and card rooms make money by taking money (raking) from each pot. The rake is either a percentage of the pot or a fixed dollar amount. For example, the house might rake $1 from a pot that ended preflop, or up to $5 for a pot that goes all the way to the river. Some card rooms do a time rake, where each player must pay a fixed amount every 30 to 60 minutes.
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Limit vs. No Limit Texas Hold'em
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