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Texas Hold'em

Once overshadowed by 7 Card Stud, Texas Hold’em’s popularity growth in recent years has made it the most widely played variation of poker in the world. And with this growth has come many new players who have a need to learn the rules.

At first glance, the rules may seem simple enough with each player trying to use the two cards they are dealt (called hole cards) and the five community cards dealt face up onto the middle of the table to make the best five-card hand. However, this is just a broad overview of the game and there is a lot more to Texas Hold’em that new players must learn.

How to Play Texas Hold'em

The Button

In order to eliminate arguments or confusion about who is the dealer, Texas Hold’em uses the concept of marking the dealer with what is commonly referred to as “the button”. In casinos, the button is traditionally marked with a plastic disc placed by the player who is dealing. In online Texas Hold’em, the dealer spot is typically identified with some sort of disc as well.

According to common Hold’em strategy, the button is the best spot to be in during a hand as it lets one act after everyone else. To ensure that all the players at the table get a fair shot at being in the button position, it rotates clockwise after each hand is played.

Blinds

Since the majority of Texas Hold’em games don’t have antes (forced bets of equal amounts made by players before a hand), blinds are used instead. Blinds are required bets placed by the two players left of the button before a hand is dealt.

The first player to the left places the small blind which is a bet that is half of the big blind (though it occasionally varies). The following player has to put up the big blind which equals the minimum bet at the table. To illustrate this, let’s say a player is in a Hold’em game where the minimum bet is $10. In this case, the small blind would only be $5 and the big blind would be $10.

One other important thing about blinds is that a person can’t avoid posting them by leaving and then coming back when these mandatory bets have passed by them. Anyone who sits down at the table must place a bet equal to the big blind in order to join the game or wait until they are in big blind position to start.

Betting Rounds

First Round/Pre-Flop

In Texas Hold’em, a series of betting rounds occur so that more chips (tokens representing money) are pushed into the pot. The first bets occur after each player has been dealt their two hole cards which are delivered face down so players can’t see each other’s hands.

After people have looked at their cards, the first player to the left of the big blind makes the decision on whether to call the big blind, raise the big blind, or fold their hand. If one folds then they are out of the hand.

When the first player to the left of the big blind makes their decision, then the next player goes and so on until everyone has either called the highest bet or raise made or folded their hand.

Second Round/The Flop

After the first round of betting, players get to see the Flop, or first three community cards. As the word “community” implies, these cards are to be used by everyone in connection with their hole cards to make the best possible hand.

Since bets are already on the table, the “check” option becomes available for players to use during this round. People can check when they wish to stay in the hand and no further bet is required thus passing the betting option onto the next player.

When a bet is placed it has to equal the minimum of the big blind. Anyone who acts after the bettor then has the option to call, raise, or fold. And just as in the first round, when everyone has either called the biggest wager or folded the betting round comes to a close.

Third Round/The Turn

When the second round of betting is finished, players are shown the Turn, or fourth card dealt. The general betting format remains the same after the Turn, however, the minimum bets and raises double. For instance, in a $10/$20 game, an opening bet must be $20 after the Turn is shown.

Fourth Round/The River

For those still left in the hand, the fifth and final card called the River is dealt into the community batch. Not all hands make it to the River as everyone may have folded to someone before this card. But many times hands will go to the River with players deciding whether or not they want to be in the Showdown. The betting exchange is exactly the same as the third round.

Showdown

Those who’ve made the necessary calls finally get to see if they’ve made the right decision as everyone must show their two hole cards. The person who bet or raised last will be the first to show their hand. But if everyone checked throughout the fourth round of betting, the first person to the left of the button shows theirs first.

A player is only required to show their hand if it is higher than the first one shown meaning that the combination of their two cards and the five community cards makes the better five card hand. If it is lower than the first shown then they can throw it into the card pile unseen (called mucking). While the player with the best five card hand wins and gets the pot, sometimes there is a tie in which case the pot gets split.

There are three different types of Texas Hold'em Poker games, made different by their betting structures

• Fixed Limit: Players may bet a fixed amount for each round.
• Pot Limit: Players may bet an amount equal to the pot size.
• No Limit: Players may bet all of their chips at any time.

Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em

While the basic rules of Texas Hold’em apply throughout the game, the betting structure can differ greatly depending on what the limits of the game are. In a Fixed Limit game, the betting limits are already pre-set. For example, a $3/$6 game would see any bet by a person equal the big blind of $3. Likewise, as players move into the third and fourth rounds of a hand, the $6 minimum bet would be utilized instead of the $3 one.

The amount of raises can differ depending on house rules but it usually follows the model of one bet and three raises in a single round. So the initial bet of $6 could turn into a $24 call by the end of the round due to raises and re-raises. Fixed Limit games are a good way for people to get a feel for how players react with cash on the line.

Pot Limit Texas Hold'em

The Pot Limit games are a little more free with their wagering than Fixed Limit games but they still have a cap. The catch with Pot Limit betting is that a person’s raise cannot exceed the pot. So if there is $30 in the pot, their raise can’t be more than $30. And this sounds simple enough but it can actually get quite confusing.

That’s because bets made during a betting round are included as part of the pot. For instance, if the pot was $20 and a player made a $20 bet then the next person could wager $80. This is because their call and the person’s call before them makes the pot $60 plus their additional $60 raise. Though Pot Limit games sound limited, the pots can actually compound to the point where they get really high.

No Limit Texas Hold'em

The most publicized of the three Texas Hold’em games, the No Limit variation has no maximum bet or raise amount. The only limit is the stack of chips a person holds which means a player can push their whole stack into the middle for an all-in bet if they choose to do so.

However, if they lose this hand, they would be out of the game or tournament they were playing. And there is one rule for No Limit betting and that is a player’s bet must at least equal the big blind or last bet made.