Please Login

Texas Holdem Poker

Texas Holdem poker is the most widely played poker game on the internet today. The following information is designed to help you get started playing this exciting poker game by guiding you through each step of Texas Holdem poker.

A game of Texas Hold'em can cater for up to ten players. The objective of all players is to make the strongest five card poker hand from the two hole or pocket cards and the five community cards dealt during the various stages of the game. Texas Holdem is played with one standard 52 card deck. The winner of the game with the highest poker hand wins the full contents of the pot at final showdown.

To begin a game of Texas Holdem poker, the two players seated to the left of the dealer must post two blind bets. These bets are known as the big blind and the small blind and are used to furnish the pot before any cards are dealt in the game. The small blind is usually half the amount of the big blind.

Once these blinds have been posted, the dealer (who is identified by a marker or dealer's button) awards two cards to each player in the game. These are dealt face down and are the two hole or pocket cards used to make up a poker hand. Once each player has looked at his cards, the first round of betting begins. The amount players can bet depend on whether the game follows a limit or no limit structure. In limit poker games, the first round of betting follows the lower limit amount in operation at the poker table. Players can call or raise a bet or fold if they want to leave the game entirely. The action described above is commonly referred to as preflop play.

After the first betting round, it's time for the flop. This is when the dealer places three cards face up on the table. These are community cards and are used by all players to make up their poker hands. A second round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer. Players can call, raise or fold when it is their turn to bet and they also have the option to check. Checking is when a player elects to miss a turn if no other player has made a bet previously in the round.

The next stage of the game is known as fourth street or the turn. The dealer lays one more community card face up on the table and a third round of betting follows.

The stage at which the last community card is dealt is called fifth street or the river. This card represents the last chance players have to finalise their poker hands before showdown. A final betting round takes place once the river has been dealt.

After players have made their final bets, showdown takes place. The players who have elected to remain in the game reveal their hands to determine whose is the strongest. They may also choose to muck their hands, which prevents other players from seeing the cards. The winner that has the best hand in the game is declared the winner of the Texas Holdem poker game and collects the full contents of the pot.