Texas Hold'em 101

Texas Hold'em (also know as hold'em) is probably the most popular variant of poker around. It's rise to fame started in the 2000s due to its exposure on popular T.V. shows and the internet. The no-limit betting form is used in the widely televised main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT).

How to Play.
Texas Hold’em is a deceptively simple game to learn but a harder game to master. Each player is dealt two cards and then five community cards are turned up by the dealer. You make the best five card hand using any combination of the seven cards. Each hand follows the following phases:

1. The Start:
   To start a new hand, two "Blind" bets are put up. The player immediately to the left of the dealer puts in the small blind which half the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind which is equal to the minimum bet. The rest of the players do not put up any money to start the hand. Because the deal rotates around the table, each player will eventually act as the big blind, small blind and dealer.


2. The Opening
   Each player is dealt two cards face down with the player on the small blind receiving the first card and the player with the dealer button getting the last card. The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind either putting in the value of the "Big Blind" to "Call", or putting in double the "Big Blind" to "raise" or folding his hand (in No-Limit the player can "Raise" whatever amount (s)he wishes. The betting goes around the table in order until it reaches the player who posted the small blind. That player can call the bet by putting in the remaining amount needed since the blind was already posted. The last person to act is the big blind. If no one has raised, the dealer will ask if they would like the option. This means the big blind has the option to raise or just "check." By checking the player does not put in any more money. A rookie mistake sometimes occurs here. Because the blind is a live bet live, the player with the big blind has already put his bet in. I have seen some players throw their cards in not realizing that they are already in the hand. Another rookie mistake is betting or folding your cards when it is not your turn. You must wait before you act.


3. The Flop:
   After the first betting round is completed, three cards are dealt and turned face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the "Flop." These are community cards used by all the players. Another betting round begins with the first player (that hasn't folded) to the left of the dealer button.


4. The Turn:
   When the betting round after the flop is completed, the dealer turns a fourth card face up in the middle of the table. This is called the "Turn."


5. The River
   Following the betting round for the turn, the dealer will turn a fifth and final card face up. This is called the "river," and the final betting round begins with four dollars being the minimum bet.


6. The Showdown
   To determine the winner, the players may use any combination of their two hole cards and the five cards on the table to form the highest five-card hand. In some rare cases the best hand will be the five cards on board. Don’t count on this happening too often. In that case the active players will split the pot. A sixth card is never used to break a tie.