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Texas Hol'dem is the best known variety of poker. It is also the
most played poker game. It is the most-popular poker game in the
USA, so it is the best known variety of poker. Texas Hol'dem needs
skills, because the luck doesn't play a big role in it. The world
poker championship is played in that
Texas Hold 'Em (or Texas Holdem) is the version of Poker played
in many casinos, and seen on the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour
and ESPN's World Series of Poker. These are the basic rules for
Texas Hold 'Em Poker.
The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck.
(In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a
"dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player
with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer
if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went
along.)
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the
left of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of
money into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's
something to play for on every hand. This is called "posting
the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" -- the
player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum bet,
and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the
"hole cards."
Betting Begins
A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the
left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise,
or fold when it's their turn to bet.
The Flop
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card
of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure
that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating.
The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table.
These cards are called the "flop."
NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed
face up on the table. Players can use any combination of the community
cards and their own two hole cards to form the best possible five-card
Poker hand.
After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning
with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this
and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise,
or fold when it's their turn to bet.
Fourth Street
The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the
table. This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn"
or "Fourth Street."
The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third
round of betting.
Fifth Street
The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up
card on the table. This card is called the "river" or
"Fifth Street."
Final Betting and The Winner
Players can now use any combination of seven cards -- the five
community cards and the two hole cards known only to them -- to
form the best possible five-card Poker hand.
The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to
the left of the dealer (the button).
After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game
reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player
who made the last raise shows their hand first.
The player with the best hand wins.
To be a truly great Texas Hold 'Em Poker player, you need to be
able to read your opponents, ascertaining when they are bluffing
and then they really have a solid hand. But learning some basic
strategies and general rules will go a long way toward making sure
you can at least hold your own in a friendly game.
Two Things to Always Remember
1. The two cards you hold are the only cards that set you apart
from the other players and give you the chance to win.
2. All of the face-up cards are community cards, shared by you
and every other player.
It's vital that you focus on what those cards could mean to someone
else at least as much as you focus on what they mean to you. In
particular, keep your eyes open for your opponents' straight and
flush possibilities.
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