How to play Texas Hold'em
How to Play Texas Holdem
Object of the game:
The object of the game is to combine your two cards with the five cards laid out on the Board to make the best poker hand among the players. This hand may consist of the two Hole Cards and three of the Board, one Hole Card and four of the Board or - very occasionally - neither of the Hole Cards and just the Board.
Lingo:
• Blinds - The bets that must be made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left which will start the action on the first round of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt. Most often, the Small Blind (the player on the immediate left of the dealer) puts up half the minimum bet, and the player on his left (the Big Blind) puts up the full minimum bet. This is called "posting the blinds."
• Call - To match someone’s bet; place the same amount into the pot.
• Community Cards - Cards that are turned face up in the middle of the table, and which belong to all players still in the hand.
• Check - When it's a player's turn to act and there has been no action in front of them and he opts not to bet, he "checks."
• Flop - the first three community cards that are dealt face-up in the center of the table all at one time. The "flop" also indicates the second round of betting.
• Fold - To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act; takes you out of that round, used when you have nothing to go on.
• Kicker Card - The highest unpaired side card in a players' hand.
• Limit Poker - A game that has fixed minimum and maximum betting intervals along with a prescribed number of raises.
• No Limit Poker - A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as they have it in front of them) on any round of betting.
• Raise - To increase the previous bet.
• River Card - This is the last coummunity card given before fourth round betting and the showdown.
• Showdown - At the end of the final betting round, it's when all active players turn their cards face-up to see who has won the pot.
• The Turn - the fourth community card dealt and represents the third round of betting.
Basic Gameplay:
First round of betting takes place immediately after the Deal. The first player to speak is the player to the left of the Big Blind. The first to bet (on the immediate left of the Big Blind or Straddler) has three options: Call, Raise or Fold. The following players have the same three options, plus the option to ReRaise (or ReReRaise). A ReRaise must equal at least the size of the last Raise. After betting, three cards are placed on the board, known as the flop. After these cards are place, players go into the second round of betting. In addition to Calling, Raising or Re-Raising, players now have the option to check - staying in the hand without betting until it is their turn to speak again. In Texas Holdem poker once a bet has been made a player may choose to Call for that amount or Raise (or ReRaise when needed). If the player chooses to do none of this he must Fold. At the end of the round, all players will have put in an equal amount of bets except where a player has an inadequate amount of chips in front of him; in that case, he may go All-In. After betting is complete, one card is turned over. This card is called the turn or fourth street. Third round of betting proceeds (just the same as the second round.) After the third round of betting the last card, the river, is placed on the board. After the river is placed the players go into the fourth round of betting. Next is the showdown. If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (Kicker card) is used to break the tie. If there is no kicker card (the tied players have used both Hole Cards, or have the same hand), the pot is split between them.
Winning hands (in order):
Royal Flush - An Ace-High straight of one suit.
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Straight Flush - A straight of entirely one suit.
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Four-of-a-Kind (Quads) - Four cards of the same rank.
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Full House (Full Boat, Boat) - Three-of-a-kind and a pair.
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Flush - Five cards of the same suit.
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Straight (Run) - Five cards of sequential rank. Note that in holdem, Aces can be high or low.
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An example of a straight where the Ace is low
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Three-of-a-Kind (Trips, Set) - Three cards of the same rank.
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Two Pair - Two cards of the same rank and another two cards of the same rank.
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One Pair - Two cards of the same rank.
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High Card - When you don't have any of the above, your highest card determines your hand.
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Note: Say if 2 players in showdown both have pairs. One player has two jacks, and the other has two kings. The player with the higher set wins. Same is true for three of a kind, four of a kind and high card.
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Online Poker Terms - Poker Dictionary | PokerNews
Credits for making:
Mostly La Vie Cruelle,
Defy
