How-to-play-Texas Holdem
Learn Texas Holdem
This highly popular casino game also known as just plain 'Hold 'em'.
The game begins with two forced bets known as the blinds these are known as the big and little blinds, These forced bets are required to get some action.
The blinds are the two players immediately to the left of the dealer button, (after each hand the dealer button moves one place clockwise round the table.) after the blinds are posted each player has two cards dealt to him face down.
There follows another round of betting. The first active player to the dealer's left bets first in each round.
After this first round of betting three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table this is known as the flop each player may use any or all of these cards to make his/her hand. This is followed by another round of bets.
After this round of betting another community card is dealt this is called the turn and is followed by a further round of betting, you may use this card to make up your hand.
After this round of betting the fifth and final card is dealt this is known as the river and once again it is followed by a round of betting.
When all the betting is over we have the showdown, each player selects his best five cards from the seven available. The player with the strongest hand wins. Remember that the majority of the strong cards are shared by everyone.
(Quick Tip No 1: - Remember The Flop, The Turn, The River, Showdown. This is the order the deals come in.)
(Quick Tip No 2: - Know when to Hold em, know when to Fold-em, daft as it sounds you will win more by folding than by playing a losing hand. Learn to recognise weak hands.)
(Quick Tip No 3: Texas Hold Em is a Seven card game if you have a low pair in your hand and the flop isn't kind to you fold.)
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How to Play Texas Holdem Download the free pdf crib sheet for more comprehensive instructions.
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Basic Rules for Great Play
Rule No1 always be prepared to throw away a great hand if it's possible that someone can beat you. Here's a couple of things that have happened to me recently that highlight this perfectly.
Hand one I get dealt AQ the flop turns over and AKQ clubs are staring at me I am excited and re raise my original bet, the guy next to me goes with me, so I'm thinking what can he have and the flush possibility comes to me so at this moment he's got me beat so imagine my joy when the turn provides me with another A, I now have a full house and I've convinced myself my opponent only has a flush.
In my excitement I go all in I want this pot and it can't fail to be mine the River brings no surprises so I'm just sitting waiting for my pot of money, and shock horror my opponent is sitting there with the J 10 of clubs he makes the Royal Flush, and once again I've learnt one of poker's hard lesson's only one hand is impregnable and unless you've got the Royal Flush everything else can be beat.
The next hard luck story isn't so bad I've got dealt A 10 suited so I make a basic call because I'm well out of position, the flop throws up QKK so I wait to see what happens everyone makes a minimum bet so I thinks go along the Jack may turn up or another A and I could be in good position, the turn brings another K and everybody checks, so now I'm hoping for the A to make a nice full house when a Q drops on the river.
Just when I'm thinking split pot unless someone has the king or two Q's, player 1 checks, player 2 goes all-in, At this point I smelt a rat but decided to fold and wait for the next hand, Player 4 goes all-in the betting turns back to player 1 (the guy who checked in the first instance) He goes all in and guess what this was the guy with the fourth King.
He played this hand to perfection if the other guys had checked they would still be in the game, now it's possible one of them had the queens but they both couldn't have so the moral of the tale is never get pot committed and even if you think the guy is trying to steal the pot beware of the dangers.
Rule 2 You know when you've got an unbeatable hand on the table don't let anyone see anything cheaply make them pay as much as you can to see the next card, if they are an aggressive player let them make the first move when they raise you go all in.
Rule 3 SAVE YOUR CHIPS! yes I know I'm shouting but sometimes you have to. If you can't beat what's on the table fold and save your chips. Don't keep calling hoping the right cards will come out, sure they do occasionally and they always do for other players but trust me you will win more than you lose if you follow this basic rule.
Rule 4 Bad Cards don't become Good Cards - Internet play is different than casino play you will find players raising re-raising etc, if you have a bad starting hand and hope that the flop will provide you with a great hand you're living in dream land most of the time, once in a while you will get lucky but can you afford that kind of luck, never play an hand your not prepared to raise on, that way you will always play with confidence and trust me you will win more than you lose.
So now you've got the hang why don't you go and play for real click the willhill image,
Download the free pdf crib sheet for more comprehensive instructions.
