Texas Hold'em is one of the most popular branches of poker. I will explain the rules of this game below.
/For the strenght of each hand refer
here/
0. Overall structure - the overall structure of Texas Hold'em, although more complex than most of the other branches, is realatively simple - each player has two cards and can combine them with five cards that are dealt on the table for everyone to use. Here is the order the game follows:
- Players pay blinds (see below)
- Each player is dealt two cards
- Players place bets
- The flop is dealt - 3 cards are dealt on the table
- Players place bets
- The turn is dealt - 1 more card is dealt on the table
- Players place bets
- The river is dealt - 1 last card is dealt on the table
- Players place beys
- The showdown takes place - the players show their cards and the winner is determined; If there is only one player left at any point of the hand he may not show his cards.
0.1 Before dealing the flop, turn, and river the dealer burns the next card in the deck (removes it from play). It is more of a tradition in modern days, as in the past it was used to prevent people from seeing marked cards that would be played next. Today it still serves the same purpose, although the risk of marked cards is greatly smaller.
1. Blinds - Almost always hold'em is played with blinds - forced bets that first two players to the
left of the dealer (the dealer is represented by a dealer button since players are not allowed to deal themselves in order to prevent cheating) pay before recieving their cards. The first person to the left of the dealer usually pays half the amout the secon pays. When only to people remain playing the person with the dealer chip pays the small blind. In poker tournaments, the blinds are gradually raised.
2. Bets - Players bet clockwise starting from the dealer. Depending of the type of hold'em there are several possibilities for bets :
2.1 Limit Hold'em - before the flop and after the flop, have to bet equal to the big blind (this bet is known as small bet). After the flop players have to bet twise the big blind (known as big bet)
2.2 No Limit Hold'em - players can bet any amount of their chips as long this amount is higher or the same as the big blind. If someone reraises they must raise at least the amount of the previous raise. When somebody bets all his chips it is called 'all-in'. When all players are in all-in they usually reveal their cards.
2.3 Pot Limit Hold'em - the maximum raise is the amount of the current pot.
3. Kickers - since shared cards are used kickers are used to determine the stronger hand. A kicker is a card not used in determening the hand's rank, but if there are two hands with the same strenght, the hand with the higher cards wins.
4.Ties - if two people have exactly the same hands a tie is called and this players split the pot
