How to play Poker (Beginners) Poker is a family of card games that combines strategy, intelligence, and skill. Poker games vary in the number of cards dealt, the number of shared or 'community' cards, the number of cards that remain hidden, and the betting procedures. Here are 10 great Texas Hold’em tips for beginners, which will help them become poker pros as quickly as possible. Play the best hand The objective of Texas Hold’em Poker is to create a strong poker hand as it is the strongest hand that wins the jackpot when it is time for showdown. So before contributing to the pot, players should first.

Texas Holdem is the most popular poker played online, in casinos and around the world in people’s homes. If you’re new to poker then this is the game you want to learn first. Read these basic texas holdem rules and you’ll be playing confidently in no time.

This is where we would normally give you a table showing where you could play texas holdem, but every single site offers it so instead let us direct you to our top poker sites for the best places to play online.

The Button and Blinds

The order the players receive their cards in is determined by the clockwise rotation of a ‘dealer button’ which is usually referred to as simply ‘the button’. The two players to the left of the button place out a bet before the cards are dealt. These bets are known as ‘the blinds’, and are designed to create action. After all, if there is no money in the pot, who wants to play? The player immediately to the left of the button is called ‘the small blind’ and posts an amount typically equal to one half the minimum bet. The player to their left (two seats left of the button) posts ‘the big blind’, equal to one full bet. So, in a limit game with stakes of $2/$4, the blinds would be $1 and $2 (in a no-limit game the blinds would be $2/$4). The dealer button moves one seat to the left (clockwise) with each new hand that is dealt.

Pre-Flop

Players receive two cards face down that are known as their hole cards, beginning with the small blind and ending with the button. When all cards are dealt out the betting action begins with the player to the left of the big blind. This position has a special name in poker – Under the Gun. This round of betting is known as Pre-Flop. Each player acts in turn in a clockwise direction and has the option to call, raise or fold. Most poker rooms will limit the number of raises that can be made in each round, usually to three or four raises. When the action reaches the small blind they have the option to fold, raise or complete their blind. The big blind is the last to act pre-flop and they can ‘check’ (take no action), raise or fold.

Beginners’ Tip: When you are in the big blind and have a less than ideal hand it is recommended that you just check. Some new players will fold their cards when they have already placed a bet! It’s best to stick around and see what happens next.

The Flop

The dealer burns one card (burn cards are in place in casinos to prevent collusion) and deals out three cards in the center of the table. These cards are ‘community cards’, meaning they are shared by all players in the hand, they are also known as ‘the board’. The first three cards are known as ‘the flop’. In this round (and the two subsequent rounds) betting begins with the player immediately to the left of the button and continues in turn in a clockwise direction. Players have the option to check if the there is no bet in front of them, call a bet that has been made, raise a previous bet or fold.

Beginners’ Tip: If the action has been ‘checked to you’, and you have a hand you think might be hopeless, don’t fold! Just check as well if you do not have to call a bet. You never know what the next two cards will bring. Look at it like a ‘free card’ and hope your hand improves.

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If there is a raise, all players who have acted prior to the raise are given a chance to act again. For example, if everyone in the hand checks to the button and the button chooses to bet, the play will continue clockwise around the table again giving all players a chance to call the bet or re-raise.

The Turn and River

After betting on the flop is completed the dealer burns another card and places one card out on the board, known as the ‘turn card’. The turn card is followed by another round of betting that follows the same procedure as on the flop. When betting on the turn ends the dealer burns one last card and places a fifth card on the board, which is called ‘fifth street’ or, more commonly, ‘the river card’. This card is followed by a final round of betting in the same method as the flop and turn rounds. When all betting is complete, it’s time for the showdown! Players turn their hands face up to show their best possible five card hands using any combination of their two cards and the five cards on the board.

Beginners’ Tip: Don’t forget your ‘kicker’! A kicker is the nickname for the card that is ‘left over’ when a player has made a hand. They are used to decide the winner in the event two or more players have the same hand. Make sure you have a high ranked kicker to ensure you can beat someone with the same hand as you!

The Winner

A player can win the pot outright or a pot can be split (also called a ‘chop’) among two or more players. Because players can use both, one or none of their hole cards to make a hand, you will occasionally run into a situation where players are ‘playing the board’, meaning the best hand they can make is the five community cards. Of course, a hand does not have to go to a showdown to be over. Sometimes a player will bet or raise and everyone else in the hand will fold. This ends all action in the hand and player who bet or raised is the winner.

Let’s take a look at some examples of winning hands:-

These are just a few examples of situations that you will encounter. Every hand plays out a little differently, and there are many outcomes. Keep in mind that it’s always the best five card hand possible of all seven cards.

Good luck at the tables!

Texas Hold ’em Poker – An Introduction to the World’s Most Popular Poker Game

by Rege Behe

Texas hold ’em poker is easy to learn and to play. It’s an extremely sociable game that is conducive to conversation and getting to know your fellow players.

From two to ten players can play Texas hold ’em poker. The first two players to the left of the dealer are the small and big blinds, respectively. They must post blinds, or forced bets; this ensures there’s always money in the pot and forces action every hand. As the dealer button moves clockwise after each hand, so will the small and big blinds.

The value of the blinds varies depending on whether it’s a limit game (the amount of each bet is pre-determined) or no-limit game (players can risk any amount of money at any time when it’s their turn to bet). For example, in a 2-4 limit game, the small blind would post one dollar and the big blind would post two dollars. In a 1-3 no limit game, the small blind would post one dollar and the big blind would post three dollars.

The action

Each person at the table is dealt two “hole” cards. The first person to the left of the big blind starts the action. That player can call (match the amount of the large blind); fold (throw in, or “muck” the cards at no cost); or raise (in limit games, twice the amount of the big blind; in no limit, any amount as long as it’s at least double the amount of the big blind). Action continues the same for each player until the big blind is reached. As with the other players, the big blind may check or raise, or fold if there has been a raise.

Five community cards (all players can use them to make a hand) are then revealed over three rounds:

• The flop (three cards)
• The turn (one card)
• The river (the final card)

Betting occurs after each round. In 2-4 limit poker, for instance, all bets pre-flop and post-flop are in increments of two dollars; bets after the turn and the river are in increments of four dollars.

In no-limit poker, bets can be waged in any amount pre-flop as long as they are at least double the big blind. In successive rounds, the minimum raise is the size of the last bet. If a player bets $10, the minimum raise is $10, for a total bet of $20.

After the flop, turn, and river, players also have the option of checking; this passes the action to the next player. If a succeeding player bets, however, the person who checked must call, fold, or raise.

Winning hands of poker:

The object is to make the best five-card hand using one or both hole cards with the community cards. On rare occasions, players don’t have to use either hole cards, using only the five community cards; this is known as playing the board.

Here’s the hierarchy of poker hands:

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• Royal flush: the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of a single suit.
• Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of a single suit.
• Four of a kind: Four cards of any rank.
• Full house: Three cards of one rank, two cards of another rank .
• Flush: Any five cards of the same suit.
• Straight: Five consecutive cards of any suit.
• Three of a kind: Three cards of any rank.
• One pair: Two cards of any rank.
• High Card: The highest card still in action.

Remember, Aces are the highest rank of cards, and Deuces are the lowest; three Aces beats three Deuces every time.

Here’s a few tips – If you are new to Texas hold ’em poker, it is best to only play premium hands such as: High pairs of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens. Premiums cards (Ace-King-Queen-Jack-10) adjacent to each other in rank and of the same suit, or unsuited, are also great hands to begin with pre-flop as is any pair 2 through 9. Most importantly, enjoy the game. By talking to your poker “neighbors” and paying attention to the action, you can not only learn the intricacies of Texas hold ’em poker, but will also have a good time.

Rege Behe is a freelance writer and journalist from Pittsburgh.

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