Texas Hold'em Poker: Rules, How to play
Texas Hold'em Poker starts with two players posting forced bets, the small blind and big blind to create a pot. Each player is dealt two face-down hole cards. The game has four betting rounds, namely Preflop, Flop, Turn, and River.
In the Preflop round, the player left of the big blind decides to call, raise, or fold. Then, the dealer deals the community cards: three on the Flop, one on the Turn, and the final one on the river. Players combine their hole cards with the community cards to make the best five-card hand.
After the river card is dealt in Texas Hold'em Poker, players reveal their hands in the Showdown. If all but one player folds, the bettor wins the pot. In case of a tie, the pot is split equally. The dealer button rotates after each hand, and the small blind and big blind post forced bets to start the next round.
How Texas Hold'em Poker Works
Texas Hold'em can be played in different betting formats- Limit, Pot-Limit, No-Limit. Among these, No-Limit Texas Hold'em is the most popular.
Each game starts with a dealer button, which rotates to the next player after every hand. The two players to the left of the dealer must place forced bets, called the small blind and big blind before cards are dealt. These forced bets create an initial pot and ensure action in every hand.
The dealer gives each player two hole cards, face-down, starting with the small blind. After that, four betting rounds take place: Preflop, Flop, Turn, and River.
Example Hand of No-Limit Texas Hold'em
Preflop action
In a $1/$2 No-limit Texas Hold'em game, the small blind posts $1, and the big blind posts $2. The dealer then deals two hole cards to each player. The player to the left of the big blind starts the betting round with three options:
1) Call (match the $2 big blind)
2) Raise (bet a least $4)
3) Fold (give up their hand)
In this example, the first player raises to $6. Other players either call, fold, or re-raise. The big blind, who already has $2 in the pot, calls by adding $4 more.
The Flop
After preflop betting ends, the dealer burns one card (discards it face-down) and deals three community cards face-up, which are called the flop.
The big blind acts first and chooses to check (bet nothing) and the next player also checks, but the button bets $10. The big blind calls while the other player folds, creating a pot of $37.
The Turn
The dealer burns another card and deals the fourth community card, known as the turn or fourth street. The big blind checks again, and the button bets $20. This time, the bind blind raises to $60. The button calls, adding $40 more to match the bet. The pot now grows to $157.
The River and Showdown
In Texas Hold'em Poker The dealer burns one last card and places the final community card, called the river, on the board. Both players check, keeping the post at $157. Now, it's time for the showdown, where players reveal their hands.
1) The bing blind reveals A♣ A♥ 3♣ 3♠ J♥, making two pair (Aces and Threes).
2) The button shows T♠ T♥ A♥ J♥ 9♠, making only one pair (Tens).
Since two pairs beat one pair, the big blind wins the $157 pot.
What happens if no one shows their cards?
Many Texas Hold'em poker hands end without a showdown (when players reveal their cards). If one player bets or raises and all others fold, that player wins the pot automatically.
Before the flop, if every player folds except the big blind, the big blind wins without even playing. This is called a 'walk'.
What happens in a Tie?
If two or more players have the exact same hand at showdown, the pot is split equally among them. This is called a chopped pot.
Starting a New game
At the start of a Texas Hold'em Poker game, players determine the dealer button by drawing one card each. The player with the highest-ranked card gets the button. Aces are high, and twos are low.
In Texas Hold'em Poker if two players draw the same card, the suit determines the winner. The ranking of suits from highest to lowest is:
1. Spades
2. Hearts
3. Diamonds
4. Clubs
Once the button is set, the small blind and big blind post their bets, and a new hand begins.
Texas Hold'em Poker is a fast-paced game of strategy and skill. Players must decide when to bet, raise, or fold based on their hand and the betting action. With four betting rounds and community cards in play, every hand brings the potential for big wins.