Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is a community card game, meaning that some cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table and shared by all players. Each player is dealt two pocket or hole cards which they consider with the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand. The person who is dealt last is regarded as the dealer and as such is marked with a dealer button. At the end of the hand the button is passed clockwise to the next player.

 

Blinds Placement

 

Most hands of poker begin by some form of forced betting. This is to ensure that there is action with every hand. Hold'em is played with two blinds (a bet before the pocket cards are received). The two players to the left of the dealer start with placing blind bets. The small blind is posted by the first player and the big blind by the second. The big blind is always the minimum bet at the table and the small blind is half.

 

 

During a betting round, each player in turn takes one of the following actions:

Bet

Put money in the pot

Call

Match another player's be

Fold

Forfeit cards and chance of winning the pot

Check

Pass on making an action (if no bet is in play)

Raise

Increase another player's bet

Re-Raise

Re-raise Increase another player's raise

 

First Round - The Pre-Flop, Dealing the Cards

 

 When the blind bets are placed, the dealer gives out two cards to each player. The dealer deals clockwise. The two cards are called "hole cards" or "pocket cards".

After this the players choose if they would like to make a bet. The person after the big blind starts. In the first round you cannot "Check", but you can do any of the following: Bet, Call, Raise or Fold. All players shall put the same amount in for the game in order to continue. So if one player raises, the other players must either call or re-raise, or fold (drop out of the round).

 

Second Round - The Flop

 

Dealer turns three cards on the table – the Flop. These three cards are community cards and can be used in combination with the two hidden cards each player has in his/her hand.

The remaining players now start the second round of bidding. The first player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding round. The following actions can now be taken: Check, Bet/Raise, Call or Fold.

All players must put the same amount into the pot, or fold before the round has ended.

The same rules apply for both the bidding and the raising in each round from now on.

 

Third Round - The Turn

 

The dealer now displays the fourth community card on the table, so all players have six cards to play with. A round of betting now takes place.

 

Fourth and Final Round - The River

 

The fifth and last community card on the table is displayed. A round of betting now takes place.

 

The Showdown

 

In all, five of the seven cards can be used. This means that each player can form the best possible five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five community cards on the table. You don't even have to use any of your own cards if you don’t want to. You can "play the board" if the best hand is shown there. The remaining players now show their cards, and the winner is found. If a player shows his/her cards and you are not able to beat these cards, you choose yourself if you want to show your cards or not.

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Online Poker Chat Abbreviations

 

nh

nice hand

vnh

very nice hand

gg

good going

lol

laugh out loud

ty

thank you

wp

well played

 

Some Odds

 

Flush (all cards in the same suit)

If you hold a four to a flush, the chance of making the flush, either on the turn or the river, is 35.0%.

Open-ended Straight

(e.g. 5678 where you need a 4 or a 9). The chance of making a straight, either on the turn or the river, is 31.5%.

Inside Straight

(e.g. 4578 where you need a 6) The chance of making an inside straight, either on the turn or the river, is 16.5%.

Trips (three of a kind)

The chance of making trips with a flopped pair,either on the turn or the river, is 8.4%.

 

Starting Hand Value

 

Your two pocket cards, or hole cards, are the only factors that separate your hand from the other players' hands. So learning how to play them is vital. An AA (ace-ace) combo simply has a much greater chance of winning than say a 7-3 combo. Play the good starting hands. Fold the bad. Combinations can however change between good and bad (and back) according to your position in the game. See 'Position play' below.

Top 20 best starting hands (the 's' means suited, both cards in the same suit, always better than unsuited)

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 Position Play

 

In a poker game being seated in "late position" is a huge advantage. In this position you get to see your opponents make their moves before you make yours.

To become a good player one must learn to take full advantage of playing in late position.

 

Fold

 

No matter the betting round, if you have nothing and can't draw to anything, you should not even think twice about folding!

 

Limit Texas Hold'em

 

There is a specified betting limit in each game and on each round of betting. The betting amount is equal to the big blind for the first two rounds of betting and doubles up for the last two rounds of betting. A maximum of four bets is allowed per round including one bet and three raises.

 

Pot Limit Texas Hold'em

 

Players may bet an amount equal to the pot size. The minimum amount a player can raise must equal to or greater than the last bet or raise within the same round. The maximum a player may bet is determined by the pot in the middle, including all bets on the table and the amount the active player must first call before raising.

For example, if the main pot in the middle of the table is $10 the first player to act in the betting round bets $5, the second player could bet a total of $25 - $5 for their portion of the call and raise by $20, the total amount of money in the pot when the action reached them, including their call.

 

No Limit Texas Hold'em

 

Players may bet all of their chips at any time. The minimum a player can bet must be equal or grater than the big blind and a raise must equal or be greater than the last bet or raise within the same round. There is no maximum amount to bet. The number of raises is only limited to a player's chips total.

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