Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold’em Poker is the most popular form of poker today, and is the game played in the World Series of Poker Main Event. If you are new to the game, read this section to familiarize yourself with each phase of the game. Understanding each stage of a Texas Hold’em poker hand will help you to become a better player as you begin to develop your own poker persona!

The Button and the Blinds:

At the beginning of each hand, a 'button' is given to a player indicating that he/she is the dealer for this hand. The button then moves one place to the left at the start of each new hand. The player immediately on the left (clockwise) of the button is the 'small blind' and places the 'small blind amount' to play the hand. The player to the left of the small blind is called the 'big blind', and that player enters the big blind amount; which is twice the value of the small blind. Depending on the status of the game, all players may be required to place an ante in the pot.

Each player is dealt two private cards face-down. These are called the 'hole' or 'pocket cards'.

Pre Flop

The player to the left of the big blind acts first. This position is called “Under the Gun” or “UTG”. The play continues clockwise around the table as each player decides to fold, call or raise the big blind. This round ends as soon as each player has placed the same amount in the pot or folded their cards if they do not wish to continue to play the hand.

The Flop

Three community cards are dealt face-up on the board, this is called 'the flop' or the 'board'. Each player can use them to form the highest possible poker hand. The player to the left of the big blind acts first. He can fold, call, raise or check. When all players have matched bets or folded their hand the betting round is over.

The Turn

A fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face-up on the board and a new betting round takes place.

The River

A fifth and final card, called the river, is dealt face-up on the board and a final betting round takes place between all players left in the hand.

The Showdown

The remaining active players, beginning with the last one to make a bet or raise, show their hands one by one. The participant who has the highest ranking 5 card poker hand, using any combination of hole and board cards, wins the pot. If two or more players have the same winning hand, the pot is shared between them.

The betting structure of Texas Hold’em Poker changes according to the following:

• No Limit (NL) – In this game type, players are free to bet as much as they wish at any time.
• Pot Limit (PL) – The maximum each player can bet in this game at any time, is the size of the current pot.
• Fixed Limit (FL or Fixed) – Players can only bet a pre-determined fixed amount on each betting round. The bet amount pre-flop and flop is doubled on the turn and river.