With the help of television the poker game Texas Hold’em has found it’s way into the living rooms and onto the tables of amateur poker players everywhere. The result is an explosion of curiosity and interest into how this game is actually played.
There are two types of poker players. The one’s you usually see on ESPN and other television shows are called no-limit players. The other kind is called the low-limit, and that is amateurs.
Most low-limit Texas Hold’em games have a betting structure of $2/4, $3/6, or $4/8. These kinds of Texas Hold’em betting structures can be found mostly in online game rooms.
So, the basics of Texas hold’em are that you are given 2 cards initially. These are called pocket cards. These players will match the cards with the five community cards which are dealt later in the game. You will match your pocket cards to the five community cards to make the best poker hand possible. The one with the best hand wins.
Suppose we use the Texas Hold’em betting structure of $2/4 where you have a limit of $2 for each of the first 2 rounds. At the last 2 rounds, your bet limit increases to $4. Your raise or your bet depends on the limit set for that round.
The game starts with two “blind” bets. The player to the left of the dealer posts a small bet which is half of the bet that was set before the start of the game. The player next will the place the bigger blind bet that is equal to the minimum bet. The third player to the left of the dealer will start the first betting round.
In Texas Hold’em, the first betting round ends with the player who made the small blind. The player who posted the big blind can either raise or “check” the bet if the player before him made a call. In Texas Hold’em, to check means to pass up the chance of making a bet.
After the last player makes his move, the new dealer will deal the first three cards face up. This stage in the game is called the flop. The second round of betting begins at $2. When the flop round is completed, the dealer flips the fourth card, or the turn. Following the Texas Hold’em betting rules, the bet now starts at $4. After the forth round, the dealer will now turn the first card face up. This is called the river. After this turn you will be able to start forming your poker hand. The player with the best hand wins.
