POKER STRATEGY AND LESSONS - Simple Guide To Texas Hold'em Poker Rules

There are more variations of Poker than any other game I can think of, yet by far the most popular poker game in the world is Texas Hold’em. I will concentrate on the rules for Hold’em Poker in this lesson, but first I want to go over the one thing every poker game has in common: Hand Ranking. Check out the strengths of the various poker hands at the Poker Hand Rankings sheet to see all of the possible poker hands in order from best to worst. At the end of the poker hand, the player with the five card combination rated highest on the Poker Hand Ranking list wins.

They say Texas HoldEm Poker takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Well, here is your first minute of learning; good luck when you are done reading. Be sure to use all of the tools out there such as Poker Software and Online Poker Advice which will help you improve your game and win more money.

BASIC DESCRIPTION

Texas Hold’em, in its simplest form, is a variation of poker where every player at the table first receives two cards face down. After a round of bets by all players, three cards are placed on the table face up (these three cards are called The Flop). After another round of betting a fourth card is placed face up on the table (this card is called The Turn). After another round of betting the fifth and final card is placed face up on the table (this card is called The River). After all five community cards are face up on the table, a final round of betting takes place and the players left in the hand show their two face-down cards. The player who has the five card combination of the highest Hand Ranking wins the hand.

BETTING AND THE BLINDS

Betting moves clockwise and always starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Texas Hold’em usually has forced bets called Blinds. Before each hand is dealt, the player immediately to the left of the dealer places a bet called the small blind and the player to the left of this player places a larger bet called the big blind. The amount of the blinds is set beforehand and is typically an indicator of the size of the pots at the table. A table with a $5 big blind will produce bigger pots than a table with a $2 big blind. At a $2 table the small blind is usually $1 and the big blind will be $2.

The first round of betting (when all players only have two face-down cards) requires a minimum bet equal to at least the amount of the big blind to stay in the hand. The round of betting following The Flop also requires a minimum bet equal to the big blind. The last two rounds of betting (after the 4th and 5th face up cards) require a minimum bet equal to twice the big blind.

If you were involved in a typical hand of Texas Hold’em hand at a $1 big blind table your experience may go something like this:

1. You are dealt Ace of Spades (As) and 9 of Hearts (9h) face down
2. Betting starts with the player to the left of the Big Blind and he calls $1
3. You and two other players after you call the $1 bet, everyone else folds
4. The flop is placed face up on the table and is Ace, 8, 4
5. The player to the left of the dealer bets $1, you call the bet with $1
6. The other two players fold leaving you and the betting player
7. The Turn is a 9 giving you top two pair (Aces and 9’s)
8. The other player bets $2 (minimum bet now)
9. You raise $2 by putting $4 in the pot, the other player calls $2
10. The last card is flipped face up (The River) and is a 2
11. The player to the left of the dealer Checks (bets nothing)
12. You bet $2 and the other player calls it by putting $2 in the pot

Now the two of you show your facedown cards. Your best five cards in this case are Ace (in your hand), Ace (on the table), 9 (in your hand), 9 (on the table), 8 (on the table). This gives you two pair, Aces and nines, with an 8. The other two cards (4 and 2) are not used in making up your hand. Your opponent shows an Ace and a Queen, giving him one pair of Aces. Since two pair (your hand) beats a pair (your opponent’s hand) on the Hand Ranking chart, you win the money in the pot.

BASIC HOLD'EM TERMINOLOGY:

Hole Cards – The first two cards dealt face down to each player
The Flop – The next Three cards placed face up on the table
The Turn – The Forth card placed face up on the table
The River – The Fifth card placed face up on the table
Pot – The total money the player with the best hand will win
Bet – Put money in the pot
Check - Choose not to bet when nobody has bet before you
Call – Put money equal to another player’s bet in the pot to stay in the hand
Raise – Increase the amount of money other players have to pay to stay in hand
Pot Odds – Mathematically figure out if it is profitable for you to call a bet
Rags – A bad hand without much chance of winning
Bluffing – Betting/Raising to make other players fold when you have Rags
Bad Beat – Losing a pot to a great hand when you have a really good hand

DEFINITIONS OF COMMON HOLD CARDS AND HANDS:

Pocket Pair – Two Hole Cards of the same value (Ex: 8 Hearts & 8 Clubs)
Bullets / Pocket Rockets – Two Aces as the Hole Cards (the best starting hand)
Big Slick – Ace and King as the Hole Cards
Suited – Two Hole Cards of the Same Suit (3 Hearts & 10 Hearts)
Connectors – Two Hole Cards in sequence (8 and 9, Jack and Queen)
Boat – Full House (see Hand Rankings - 7, 7, 7, 10, 10)
Trips – Three of a Kind (8, 8, 8)
Flopped a Hand – When you have a good hand with only the Flop, such as trips
On A Draw – Need helpful card on the Turn or River to make a good hand
Limit Hold’em – Bets and raises are fixed – can only bet the determined Limit
Pot Limit Hold’em – Bets cannot exceed the amount of money in the pot
No Limit Hold’em – Any player can bet any amount at any point in the hand

ON A DRAW DETAILED:

Open Ended Straight Draw – your hand contains 4 cards in sequence, such as 5, 6, 7, 8 – either a 4 or a 9 on the Turn or River will give you a straight.

Inside Straight Draw– your hand contains one missing card Inside the middle of a straight such as 4, 5, 7, 8 – only a 6 will give you a straight

Flush Draw – You have four of one suit, you need a fifth on the Turn or River for a Flush

Overcards – The Flop does not give you a pair, but your two cards are higher than the three on the board – you are said to have two overcards

Outs – The number of cards which could appear on the Turn or River to make your hand good – If you have four Hearts you have 9 outs, or 9 Hearts left in the deck which will give you a flush – See the Simple Poker Pot Odds Lesson

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