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Home: Poker: Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em: Set-Up and Play (short version)

Introduction

Texas Hold'em Poker is a community card game with four betting rounds.

Game Play

  1. One player acts as dealer. This position is called the button and it rotates clockwise after every hand.
  2. The two players to the left of the dealer are the small blind and the big blind, respectively. They are the only players who have money in the pot before the cards are dealt.
  3. Every player receives two cards face down. These are hole cards.
  4. The first betting round begins with the player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind, and continues clockwise.
  5. When the first betting round is completed, three community cards are flipped face up on the table. This is called the flop.
  6. The second round of betting begins with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting resumes, clockwise.
  7. When the second round of betting is finished, a fourth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the turn.
  8. The third round of betting commences with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the button. The betting moves clockwise, with the bets doubling on the turn.
  9. When the third round of betting is over, a fifth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the river.
  10. The fourth round of betting starts with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting continues to move clockwise.

How to make a hand

The players must combine their hole cards with the community cards to make the best possible 5-card poker hand. It is possible to use both hole cards, one hole card or no hole card (play the board), in an effort to make a hand.

Example

Hold'em

Hole Cards A   Hole Cards B
 
The Flop The Turn The River
Final Hand A Final Hand B

Two pair (Q's and 3's with a K)

Two pair (K's and 3's with an A)

Action begins

Action ends

Ranking of hands

  1. Straight flush (the best straight flush hand: A-K-Q-J-T, all of the same suit)
  2. Four-of-a-kind (the best four-of-a-kind hand: A-A-A-A-K)
  3. Full house (the best full house hand: A-A-A-K-K)
  4. Flush (the best flush hand: any Ace-high flush)
  5. Straight (the best straight hand: A-K-Q-J-T)
  6. Three-of-a-kind (the best three-of-a-kind hand: A-A-A-K-Q)
  7. Two-pair (the best two-pair hand: A-A-K-K-Q)
  8. One-pair (the best one-pair hand: A-A-K-Q-J)
  9. No-pair (the best high hand: A-K-Q-J-9)

Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em: Set-Up and Play (extended version)

In Limit Texas Hold'em the bets are fixed. There are small bets and big bets. The small bets are used in the first two rounds of betting and the big bets used in the third and fourth rounds of betting. The big bets are always double the sum of the small bets. The amount of the bets depends on the size of the game.

Before the cards are dealt

  1. One player functions as the dealer (in a casino this person has a plastic marker in front of him). This spot is called the button. The button determines the order in which the players are to act in the hand and rotates clockwise after each hand is played.
  2. The first player to the left of the button (the number 1 seat) puts a forced bet on the table, called the small blind, and the second player to the left of the button (the number 2 seat) also places a forced bet on the table, called the big blind. The big blind is always the same size as the small bet, whereas the small blind is usually half the size of the big blind. For example, in a $10/$20 Limit Texas Hold'em game, the small bet is $10 and the big bet is $20. Therefore, the big blind is $10 (the size of the small bet) and the small blind is $5 (half the size of the big blind and the small bet).

The cards are dealt

The cards are dealt clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the button (the small blind) and ending with the player who is acting as dealer (the button). Each player receives two hole cards, which are placed face down on the table. This hand is called the starting hand.

The first round of betting

  1. The action starts with the player sitting to the left of the big blind (the number 3 seat, also known as sitting under the gun). This player has the option of folding (throwing his hole cards in the middle of the table, called the muck), calling (putting the same amount as the big blind on the table) or raising (by placing two small bets in front of him).
  2. The action now rotates to the number 4 seat (the player sitting to the left of the number 3 seat), who has the option of folding, calling, raising or re-raising (though only if it has been raised in front of him).
  3. The betting continues clockwise until every player that has not folded has contributed equally to the pot.

    Example

    It is a $10/$20 Limit Texas Hold'em game and 10 players are seated at the table. The cards are dealt and the first player to act (sitting under the gun) decides to raise. He must then put $20 into the pot (two small bets). The players sitting in seats 4, 5, 6 and 7 opt to fold and throw their cards in the muck. The player in the number 8 seat chooses to re-raise and must therefore contribute $30 into the pot (three small bets). The player sitting in the number 9 seat decides to call and, consequently, must put $30 into the pot (three small bets). The player sitting on the button (the dealer) folds.

    The small blind, who already has $5 committed to the pot, calls and, as a result, must contribute an additional $25 to the pot ($30 in total; equal to three small bets). The action moves to the big blind, who opts to re-raise and, as such, has to put $40 into the pot (since he had $10 in the pot at the start of the hand, he has to put in an additional $30 thus making his bet $40 in total; equal to four small bets).

    This is called cap the betting, which means that raises are no longer allowed. In each betting round there are only three raises allowed, making it four bets in total. After the cap, the remaining players can either fold or call. The action resumes with the initial raiser who is sitting under the gun.

  4. Once the first betting round is finished and all remaining players have contributed equally to the pot, it is time for the flop.

The flop and the second round of betting

  1. The dealer begins by burning the top card of the deck and placing it face down on the table. This is done in order to prevent cheating in case the top card is marked. This card, the burn card, is henceforth excluded from play. The dealer then flips up three cards on the table for everybody to see. These three cards are the flop. This is a defining moment for all remaining players, as only two more cards are left to come. In other words, 5 out of 7 cards have been revealed. The flop contains community cards, which are used together with the two hole cards to create the best possible 5-card poker hand.
  2. Since the blinds are only used on the first round of betting, it is now the small blind who acts first (sitting in the number 1 seat). If the small blind folds before the flop, it becomes the big blind's turn to act, and so forth.
  3. The first player to act has the option of checking (the action moves clockwise towards the next remaining player) or betting (if the player bets, it must be exactly one small bet). If all players check on the flop, they are all allowed to see the fourth card (the turn) without putting in any additional money.
  4. The betting progresses in the same pattern followed in the first round, with a permitted maximum of three raises (four small bets in total).

    Example

    It is a $10/$20 Limit Texas Hold'em game and 10 players are sitting around the table. Following the first round of betting, only the players seated in the small blind, the big blind and on the button are left in the hand. The dealer brings in the pot and puts it in the middle of the table, burns the top card (places it face down on the table) and flips open the three community cards (the flop). Given that the betting proceeds clockwise from the button, it is the small blind who is first to act and he decides to check. The big blind bets ($10; equal to one small bet) and the button opts to call (puts in $10). Once again, it is the small blind's turn to act and he can raise (make it $20; referred to as a check-raise), fold (throw his hole cards in the muck) or call (put in $10).

  5. Once the second round of betting is finished and all remaining players have equally contributed to the pot, it is time for the turn.

The turn and the third round of betting

  1. The dealer burns the top card of the deck and flips open a fourth community card next to the flop. This card is called the turn.
  2. The betting then advances clockwise from the button, as on the flop. The only difference is that now the bets are doubled and are referred to as big bets.

    Example

    It is a $10/$20 Limit Texas Hold'em game and 10 players are seated at the table. After the flop, only the players sitting in the big blind and the button stay in the hand. Since the betting progresses clockwise from the button, the big blind must act first. The big blind decides to bet (puts in $20; equal to one big bet), the button chooses to raise (puts in $40; equal to two big bets) and the big blind elects to call (puts in another $20; making two big bets in total). The third round of betting is now complete.

  3. Once the third round of betting is finished and all remaining players have given equally to the pot, it is time for the river.

The river and the fourth round of betting

  1. The dealer burns the top card of the deck and flips open a fifth community card next to the flop and the turn. This card is called the river.
  2. The betting then moves clockwise from the button, as on the flop and the turn.
  3. The bets equal the same amount as those placed on the turn.

    Example

    It is a $10/$20 Limit Texas Hold'em game and 10 players are seated around the table. After the turn, only the players sitting in the big blind and the button are left in the hand. Since the betting advances clockwise from the button, it is the big blind who is first to act. The big blind chooses to check and the action continues on to the button, who bets (puts in $20; equal to the size of one big bet). The big blind now has the option of folding, raising or calling and decides to call (puts in $20; equal the size of one big bet). The button has been called and, because this is the last round of betting, he has to flip two hole cards face up on the table. He then combines his hole cards with the five community cards to create the best possible 5-card poker hand. The big blind has the option of throwing his hole cards in the muck (in case he can not beat the button's hand), or of flipping his hole cards face up on the table to show the winning hand. In order to win the pot, both hole cards must be flipped face up, even though only one hole card might be used for making the best hand.

  4. The hand is over.
  5. The dealer moves the button one position clockwise. The deck is reshuffled and dealt again.

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