With hit shows on ESPN and the Travel Channel, Texas Hold 'Em is one of America's most popular card games. This article explains the basic rules of the game.
Texas Hold 'Em is one of the most popular card games in America right now, and this article explains the basic rules of the game.
Number of Players
A good game of Texas Hold 'Em requires at least six players. Although more can be added depending on the size of a given table, and the endurance of guests, it's a difficult game to play with fewer than six.
To begin, take out a standard 52-card deck (Texas Hold 'Em does not use jokers) and place one card for each player face down on the table. Each player should draw a card. The highest card drawn will be the dealer and other players should sit immediately to his left in descending order.
As in most card games, the role of the dealer is to deal the cards, but Texas Hold 'Em is unique in that it does not require an ante for each hand.
Instead, to the immediate left of the dealer is a player known as "little blind," who posts an initial bet, and to his immediate left is a player referred to as the "big blind," who posts a bet twice as large before the first cards are dealt.
Blinds are set by the house and vary depending on the wealth of those seated around the table. Typically, the opening blind will be $1/$2, which means the little blind must place a $1 bet to start the game.
These positions rotate after every hand, and with six players a given individual only has to be the big blind 1/6th of the time.
The value of blinds increase as the game continues according to rules set by the house. Typically the blinds will increase with increments of time, such as every 20 minutes, or with the number of hands played.
First Deal; First Bet
After the blinds have been placed in the betting circle, the dealer gives each player two cards face down. Each player then views the cards and decides whether or not to bet.
A player essentially has three options at this point: bet, raise or fold.
Betting begins to the left of the big blind player, and each bet must be at least as much as that placed by the "big blind."
For example, in a $1/$2 round, the first bet must be at least $2. If the player chooses to bet, he can place $2 in the betting circle. If he chooses to raise, that raise must be in increments of $2.
If the player is unsatisfied with his cards, he folds and waits for the next hand.
If the little blind or the big blind choose to fold, they automatically lose their initial contributions. The little blind must match the big blind, or any subsequent raises, to continue playing.
Flop Cards; Second Bet
After all bets are in, the dealer discards the top card in the deck, known as the burn, and turns over three cards in the middle of the table. All players have an opportunity to use those three cards to get the best possible hand, along with the two cards they each have.
Betting begins to the left of the dealer in increments of whatever the big blind was for that round.
During this round, players can still fold, bet or raise. However, this round also introduces the option to "check," where no bet is made in the hope that better cards will turn up in the next flop. If all players say, "check" no bets are made, but the check option is null and void once a player lays money in the betting circle.
Last Cards; Last Bets
After all bets are in from the first three-card flop, the dealer burns another card from the top deck and lays the subsequent card on the table face-up.
Players now have the option of using all four of the cards on the table along with one card in their hand to build the best possible poker hand.
Bets begin again to the left of the dealer.
This process is repeated for a last time with burning, turning and betting until five cards are out on the table.
Players once again have the option to bet, check or fold and the winner is the one with the best hand among the remaining players on the table.
Ranking of Poker Hands
Hands are ranked by standard poker rules of five-card poker. Players may use no more than four cards from the community pile in building the best hand.
Here are the poker hands from best to worst:
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, all of the same suit.
Straight Flush: Any five-card sequence in the same suit.
Four of a Kind: All four cards of the same value.
Full House: Three of a kind, combined with a pair.
Flush: Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
Straight: Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same value.
Two Pair: Two separate pairs.
Pair: Two cards of the same value.
High Card: The highest card in a hand.
Tips and strategies:
The rules of Texas Hold 'Em are simple and straightforward, so here are some winning strategies.
Go All In. When a player thinks they have an excellent hand that can beat anyone else on the board, they will push all their chips to the center and declare that they are "all in." This can have the effect of intimidating everyone else at the table into folding, but it can also backfire if the bet is called and another player has the higher hand.
Know When to Fold. Folding a bad hand may seem like giving in or losing, but it is actually the best way to stay in the game. Since only the little blind and the big blind have to pay money into each hand, and these positions rotate, a player can save considerable money by folding bad hands.
Watch tells. Novice players think poker is all about luck, but while the hands cannot be predicted the use of them can be. Watch other players to see how they react when they get strong hands or weak hands, and make sure your own face does not show the famous "tell."
No one wins every hand of poker, and not every hand should be played. In poker, the object is to win as much as you can on a good hand and lose as little as possible with a bad deal.