Texas Holdem Poker Rules: Learn How to Play
Texas Holdem poker is one of the most exciting modified card games in the word. You need a minimum of two players to play the game, but to roll the fun around generally, it is played among eight to ten players in the gambling den. It is played with a pack of fifty-two cards. This game was introduced in the decade of 1920s. It was first played at Texas and was firstly tried by Blondie Forbes, who was a very famous gambler during that time.
Why is the game of poker so popular? With its roots dating back to the early 19th century, poker has gone through an exponential rise in popularity to become a worldwide phenomenon. With online gaming slowly taking the driving seat in the overall gambling industry, more and more players are getting acquainted with the game and deciding to give it a go. If you belong to a group of people willing to get the ropes of this skill-based game, read through this brief guide on poker rules to get a better understanding of what is it exactly that you will be required to learn before you can earn the right to call yourself a poker player. Have a read in order to understand the official rules of poker including additional tips and poker hand rankings.
Why is the game of poker so popular? With its roots dating back to the early 19th century, poker has gone through an exponential rise in popularity to become a worldwide phenomenon. With online gaming slowly taking the driving seat in the overall gambling industry, more and more players are getting acquainted with the game and deciding to give it a go. If you belong to a group of people willing to get the ropes of this skill-based game, read through this brief guide on poker rules to get a better understanding of what is it exactly that you will be required to learn before you can earn the right to call yourself a poker player. Have a read in order to understand the official rules of poker including additional tips and poker hand rankings.
Texas Holdem Poker
This game can’t get any simpler. You get a seat at a table that fits a minimum of 2 to 10 players in total. Your air is to win as many chips as you can with each passing pot. A pot is won by having the best hand or by forcing all other players to fold before the showdown. The game starts with players seated to the left of the button putting forwards forced bets. These are called blinds. With two cards being dealt to each player, the player to the left of the big blind starts the action which moves clockwise.
You can call, raise or fold within the first three betting rounds where three cards are dealt on the table. This is called the flop, the turn and the river. During the game, it is your aim to use the two cards you have in your hand and combine them with the so-called ‘community cards’ to create the best hand possible and beat other players.
The goal point of the game is to win the whole pot of chips. This means to win as many chips as you can. You can do so in two ways:
Before understanding the rules to play the game, you must know the following terminologies:
You can call, raise or fold within the first three betting rounds where three cards are dealt on the table. This is called the flop, the turn and the river. During the game, it is your aim to use the two cards you have in your hand and combine them with the so-called ‘community cards’ to create the best hand possible and beat other players.
The goal point of the game is to win the whole pot of chips. This means to win as many chips as you can. You can do so in two ways:
- Let all the gamers fold before your showdown
- Let you show the best hand
Before understanding the rules to play the game, you must know the following terminologies:
- Button – It is the pet name of the player who is treated as bursar or the dealer.
- Blind – It is a bet made by force without viewing the cards.
- Check – It is referred to the declining of the betting opportunity by the players.
How to play? Poker Rules
There are four rounds of betting in Texas Holdem. In order to become a good player, you have know how to play well during every round (street) and know more than just basic poker rules.
1. The preflop round
The first stage before any community cards are delt is called preflop (or pre-flop). The cards are first shuffled and then distributed among the players in a clockwise direction, one card to one player. This is called betting. Each player gets two cards through betting, and they are held in a personal hand with their faces down. These two cards are termed as the Pocket Cards or the Down Cards or the Hole cards. Each player can bet, raise, or fold the Big Blind in a clockwise direction starting with the player sitting beside Big Blind.
2. The flop
The bursar rekindles a card and then deals cards triple at a time facing up. These three cards are termed as the Flop, whereas the rest of the community cards are jointly known as the Board. Each player can call, raise or fold in the second betting round, starting from the dealer's left.
3. The Turn
Then the fourth card is added to the dealer's community cards, which is named the Turn. This card is also known as Fourth Street. At this point, the game pattern is the same, but the betting quantum gets increased a lot.
4. The River
The dealer now shows the fifth card, the final one called the Fifth Street or the River. Lastly arrives the round of final betting and is similar to the previous betting rounds.
5. The Showdown
Now the players show their best hand along with the hole cards and the combination cards. The player who can make the best combination according to poker hand rankings, wins the pot (the chips from the middle of the table). Remember, to go to showdown earlier, at least one of the players must be all-in. Then if no more players with bigger chip stacks are playing against each other, players turn their cards face up and see the all five community cards without betting (since a player is all-in and can't bet anything anymore). Of course, as mentioned, if two or more players continue playing while one or more short-stacked players are all-in, dealer will create a side pot since players with bigger chip stacks have them covered. If this seems too complicated for you, don't think about it too much for now, it is very easy to understand and you will remember this after playing a small number of games.
What if there is a tie? It is straightforward; the whole pot is divided equally and evenly among the winners. A good example would be, the board is 7 9 10 J 2 and two or more players have an 8 in their hand. In that case, those players split the spot since they all have a straight. Unless someone has a Q8 or even better - a KQ hand. In that case, the player would take everything and there would be no split, since Q8 is the second-best straight and KQ gives you the best possible combination (nuts).
What if there is a tie? It is straightforward; the whole pot is divided equally and evenly among the winners. A good example would be, the board is 7 9 10 J 2 and two or more players have an 8 in their hand. In that case, those players split the spot since they all have a straight. Unless someone has a Q8 or even better - a KQ hand. In that case, the player would take everything and there would be no split, since Q8 is the second-best straight and KQ gives you the best possible combination (nuts).
Poker Hands and their Rankings
You can’t play poker without knowing what beats what and which hands are better than the rest. That is exactly where hand rankings come into play. Knowing the correct poker hand rankings is of vital importance and you can’t compete without embedding it deep in your memory. From best to worst, Texas Holdem hand rankings are as follows:
- Royal Flush – a combination of ten, jack, queen, king and ace, all of the same suit
- Straight Flush – five cards of the same suit, lined up sequentially
- Four-of-a-Kind – Any four numerically listed cards with 4 Aces being strongest of them all
- Full House – a combination of three of a kind and a pair in the same hand
- Flush – any five cards of the same suit, without any particular order
- Straight – Five cards of different suits, lined up in a sequence
- Three-of-a-Kind – Three numerically matching cards
- Two Pair – different pairs in the same hand and an odd card
- One Pair – Two numerically matching cards with three odd cards
- High Card – the highest ranking card (A) without any matching cards
Poker Hand Rankings (Credit: F.G Bradley's)
Poker Strategy and Tips
Texas Holdem is a game full of strategies and actions. It creates a mental tug- of- war, and you need to apply brains and a rapid thought process to play the game. But the game is very challenging and full of thrills and fun. Many experts go for bluffing, but it is better to go for semi-bluffing rather than getting into total bluffing. But if you are a beginner, then it is better not to fall into this mess.
The blinds help to make others bet with the game. They begin in betting small chips but slowly keep on increasing. This will make the remaining players also bet chips, or else they will run short of chips. As a beginner, it is always advisable to keep the calling at less. Beginners take time to understand the game's flow and think that they are having the best in hand and end up with nothing to be called for.
Ace queens are bigger losers in the game. When you reach the final stage, you might feel that you are the winner with the ace-queen, but your opponent might have a king, and thus, the game might turn into a massacre for you.
Pocket jacks are troublesome but can be a fortune earner if you receive it at the Flop with no overtly rated cards like kings, queens, and aces.
Never play the game emotionally. Always keep your calm and be vigilant and attack the weak targets at first. But obviously, you will take time to grow the perfect style and skills to play the game.
The blinds help to make others bet with the game. They begin in betting small chips but slowly keep on increasing. This will make the remaining players also bet chips, or else they will run short of chips. As a beginner, it is always advisable to keep the calling at less. Beginners take time to understand the game's flow and think that they are having the best in hand and end up with nothing to be called for.
Ace queens are bigger losers in the game. When you reach the final stage, you might feel that you are the winner with the ace-queen, but your opponent might have a king, and thus, the game might turn into a massacre for you.
Pocket jacks are troublesome but can be a fortune earner if you receive it at the Flop with no overtly rated cards like kings, queens, and aces.
Never play the game emotionally. Always keep your calm and be vigilant and attack the weak targets at first. But obviously, you will take time to grow the perfect style and skills to play the game.
Poker Variants
Poker comes in different forms and shapes. Even the biggest poker beginner out there will surely have heard of Texas Holdem but rest assured there is much more to poker than this globally popular type of poker. When it comes to popularity, rules and ease of play, there is just about a dozen most popular poker variations:
- Texas Holdem
- Omaha Hi
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- 5-Card Omaha
- 5-Card Draw
- HORSE
- Razz
- 7-Card Stud
- 2-7 Triple Draw
- Badugi
- Short Deck
- Chinese Poker
With this being the poker guide for beginners, we’ll only be describing the most popular of all types, offered at almost all land-based casinos and online poker rooms as well. One of the main reasons behind the global popularity of Texas Holdem is the fact this is a relatively easy game to learn. In this guide I will cover the most popular poker version - Texas Holdem.
Where to Play Poker Online?
It is not easy to find a good online poker site, especially if you live in North America. However, I did my research and picked you some great options that you should definitely check out.
These are the best online poker sites for Americans and Canadians:
These are the best online poker sites for Americans and Canadians:
Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) Rules
The most common and famous variation of the Texas Hold'em Poker Game is the Omaha and is presumed to be the most challenging and most prosperous poker game. It is tough to absorb the game plan, and no question of bluffing arises. In Omaha poker, the player with the best five-card hand is the winner. Each player has four hole cards and five community cards are dealt face up.
The players use exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to make their best five-card poker hand. Pot limit Omaha poker is a type of Omaha poker where a player is allowed to bet what is in the pot.
In Pot Limit Omaha, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $2/$4 Omaha game has a small blind of $2 and a big blind of $4). Betting then beggins from the player to the left of the big blind. Every player is dealt their four hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (on the left from the big blind). After seeing the hole cards, every player now has the option to play his hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $4, it would cost $4 to call, or at least $8 to raise. Action then continues clockwise around the table.
After the first round of betting is complete, the flop is dealt face-up on the community board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all players who are still in. When betting is done for the flop round, the turn is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Pot Limit Omaha. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Once betting action is done for the turn round, the river is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and the last community card in Pot Limit Omaha. The final round of betting starts with the active player immediately clockwise from the dealer button.
The players use exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to make their best five-card poker hand. Pot limit Omaha poker is a type of Omaha poker where a player is allowed to bet what is in the pot.
In Pot Limit Omaha, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $2/$4 Omaha game has a small blind of $2 and a big blind of $4). Betting then beggins from the player to the left of the big blind. Every player is dealt their four hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (on the left from the big blind). After seeing the hole cards, every player now has the option to play his hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $4, it would cost $4 to call, or at least $8 to raise. Action then continues clockwise around the table.
After the first round of betting is complete, the flop is dealt face-up on the community board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all players who are still in. When betting is done for the flop round, the turn is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Pot Limit Omaha. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Once betting action is done for the turn round, the river is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and the last community card in Pot Limit Omaha. The final round of betting starts with the active player immediately clockwise from the dealer button.
- The minimum bet in PLO is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.
- The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. If the first player to act bets $10 then the second player must raise a minimum of $10 (total bet of $20).
- Maximum raise is equal to the size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table including the amount the active player must first call before raising.
Omaha Pot Odds
Once you get a full hang of the basic poker rules and know which hands are the strongest, it’s time to focus on poker odds. They might seem confusing at first glance, but a player who wants to take poker seriously will need to get a good understanding of how they work. There are some fantastic places where you can get good poker odds and bonuses while you’re at it, but right here we focus on the basics. Firstly, you need to remember that poker odds depend on the size of a bet.
If you were to go for a 1/2 pot bet, this means you are going with $1 into $2 pot, giving you pot odds of 3:1. What this means is that you need equity of 1/4 or 25%. For a 2/3 pot bet, the odds are 5:2 with 2/7 or 29% equity needed. Further up, you have a ¾ pot bet with 7:3 odds and 3/10 or 30% equity. Pot sized bet gives you 2:1 with 1/3 (33%) equity. And in a 2x pot bet, where you go with $2 into $1 pot, there are 3:2 odds offered with 2/5 (40%) equity.
Maths behind to odds is nothing you should break your head over and that’s where poker odds calculators can help a lot.
If you were to go for a 1/2 pot bet, this means you are going with $1 into $2 pot, giving you pot odds of 3:1. What this means is that you need equity of 1/4 or 25%. For a 2/3 pot bet, the odds are 5:2 with 2/7 or 29% equity needed. Further up, you have a ¾ pot bet with 7:3 odds and 3/10 or 30% equity. Pot sized bet gives you 2:1 with 1/3 (33%) equity. And in a 2x pot bet, where you go with $2 into $1 pot, there are 3:2 odds offered with 2/5 (40%) equity.
Maths behind to odds is nothing you should break your head over and that’s where poker odds calculators can help a lot.
Omaha (PLO) Strategy
If there was a single poker strategy that worked all the time, all poker players would be pros. However, with poker being a game that combines skill with luck, poker strategies might prove more or less successful and there is not a single one of them that works 100%. The main poker strategy is to apply common sense into your poker play. Don’t let the emotions guide you and try to remain cool-headed throughout. Fold when you’re not sure. Attack on the first sign of weakness and go for the jugular. Be vigilant, play for the long term and try to develop and perfect your skills over time.
In fact, these are all different poker strategies piled up in a single sentence.
In fact, these are all different poker strategies piled up in a single sentence.
6+ SHORT DECK HOLDEM
6+ short deck holdem poker is played with a deck of 36 cards. For that, cards from two to five (including both) of all suits are removed from a deck of 52 cards. At the start, each player gets two hole cards and there will be three rounds of community cards, with every round followed by a bet. As a beginner, if you are not well conversant with the game's rankings and rules, you might think of winning, but on showing the cards, you might come to know that you are not having the best winning cards in hand and might be in the soup. So you must know the following ratings:
ROYAL FLUSH – all five cards with the same symbol arranged in the form of A-K-Q-J-10
STRAIGHT FLUSH – all five cards of the same symbol arranged in any continuous sequence
FOUR OF A KIND – four cards with the same value
FLUSH – all of the five cards with the same symbols
FULL HOUSE – a pair card and rest three cards of the same kind
THREE OF A KIND – out of five, only three cards are of the same type
STRAIGHT – a typical arrangement of cards, like 6-5-4-3-2
TWO PAIR – out of five, there are two sets of paired cards
PAIR – two same cards
HIGH CARD – the highest single card that you are having
ROYAL FLUSH – all five cards with the same symbol arranged in the form of A-K-Q-J-10
STRAIGHT FLUSH – all five cards of the same symbol arranged in any continuous sequence
FOUR OF A KIND – four cards with the same value
FLUSH – all of the five cards with the same symbols
FULL HOUSE – a pair card and rest three cards of the same kind
THREE OF A KIND – out of five, only three cards are of the same type
STRAIGHT – a typical arrangement of cards, like 6-5-4-3-2
TWO PAIR – out of five, there are two sets of paired cards
PAIR – two same cards
HIGH CARD – the highest single card that you are having
Summary
Many other poker games like Horse, Badugi, Five Card Draw etcetera but of all, the No-Limit Texas Holdem game is the most exciting one as it is fast, much more accessible than Ohama, and liked by all. So good luck to all of you for trying out Texas Holdem at least once in your life!