Playing poker may seem pretty easy to the casual observer, but when you actually start to learn poker and begin to see the intricacies in the game and how much psychology plays a part in it, then you will realize just how much there is to it when you want to learn how to play Texas Hold Em poker, the most popular poker game by far in the civilized world. It is not as simple as it seems.
Because Texas Hold Em is the most popular form of poker today, every time you surf the TV channels you will inevitably run across a poker tournament and the game they are playing is always Texas Hold Em. Most likely because the favor is there in the viewing audience, but also because it is an easy form of poker to watch----there are a lot of cards face up on the table during the play, so you can watch the progress of the game and understand the betting process better. If you know how to play Texas Hold Em, you have a better grasp of what is going on when the players are betting because you can see what the hole cards are held by each player and the MC of the tournament usually keeps you abreast of the play.
So let's check out just how the play sequences work and what exactly happens during a poker game. First, you have the dealer (he has a dealer button in front of him showing the world who the dealer is for that particular hand---and the button moves clockwise around the table so there is a new dealer for each new hand. The first thing that happens is that the enforced bets are called for and placed in the pot. These bets are referred to as blinds or antes. The first blind is place by the first player to the left of the dealer and this is the small blind. The next player to the dealer's left places the next blind bet which is called the big blind----and in most games, the small blind is about of the big blind. Now the actual deal starts when the dealer doles out two cards face down to each player----no one but you can see your 2 cards and you keep them hidden throughout the game---these are the hole cards. As you look at these 2 cards, you must now decide if they are good enough to proceed in the game, or should you toss them in (fold your hand) and not risk losing any more money.
The betting starts after the two hole cards are dealt, and the player to the left of the big blind starts the betting. He will either check, call, raise, or fold; and the betting proceeds around the table until all players have placed a bet or folded their cards. Next, the dealer will deal 3 cards face up on the table so all players can see them---these are the community cards or the "flop". The betting proceeds again with the player to the left of the dealer initiating the betting. After all players still in the game have placed their bets, then the dealer places another community card face up on the table---this is referred to as the "turn". This is when it is important to know how to play Texas Hold Em poker because you must evaluate your two hole cards with the 4 cards face up on the table and decide if you have a running chance to make any kind of a good hand that can win the pot. If it looks pretty bleak, then you should fold.
After this round of betting, the dealer now places the 5th community card on the table for all players to see and use and this card is called the "river". It is now time for the final round of betting where all players who are still in the game must again decide if they have a fighting chance against the other players with the 5 cards showing on the table and their hole cards----every player is making the same decision. Of course, there can always be someone who has next to nothing as far as a betting hand goes but he wants to make everyone else think he does, so he will "bluff" in his betting and you must figure out with what the other players have bet, and what you are holding, as to whether every bet is legitimate or is someone just bluffing to try to win the pot with a nothing hand. You must always have your antennae out after you learn how to play Texas Hold Em poker, because bluffing by one or more players is a very common occurrence and you must include that fact into your strategy for your own possible win.
After this round of betting, all players that are still in the game (have not yet folded their cards) must show their hands including their hole cards, and the best 5 card hand combination wins the pot. If there is more than one player with the same identical hand, then the players split the pot----also, if the community cards happen to be the best combination for everyone left around the table, then all players left sitting must split the pot. Now the dealer button moves clockwise to the next person at the table, and he becomes the dealer for the next hand.
You'll find that if you learn how to play Texas Hold Em, that a whole new world of fun, excitement, strategy, and psychology will open up for you in a way you can only imagine. Texas Hold Em truly is the most popular form of poker, and this is for good reason---it has wonderful strategy, fun to play, relatively easy to learn, and something that will make you want to keep playing for years and years.
Because Texas Hold Em is the most popular form of poker today, every time you surf the TV channels you will inevitably run across a poker tournament and the game they are playing is always Texas Hold Em. Most likely because the favor is there in the viewing audience, but also because it is an easy form of poker to watch----there are a lot of cards face up on the table during the play, so you can watch the progress of the game and understand the betting process better. If you know how to play Texas Hold Em, you have a better grasp of what is going on when the players are betting because you can see what the hole cards are held by each player and the MC of the tournament usually keeps you abreast of the play.
So let's check out just how the play sequences work and what exactly happens during a poker game. First, you have the dealer (he has a dealer button in front of him showing the world who the dealer is for that particular hand---and the button moves clockwise around the table so there is a new dealer for each new hand. The first thing that happens is that the enforced bets are called for and placed in the pot. These bets are referred to as blinds or antes. The first blind is place by the first player to the left of the dealer and this is the small blind. The next player to the dealer's left places the next blind bet which is called the big blind----and in most games, the small blind is about of the big blind. Now the actual deal starts when the dealer doles out two cards face down to each player----no one but you can see your 2 cards and you keep them hidden throughout the game---these are the hole cards. As you look at these 2 cards, you must now decide if they are good enough to proceed in the game, or should you toss them in (fold your hand) and not risk losing any more money.
The betting starts after the two hole cards are dealt, and the player to the left of the big blind starts the betting. He will either check, call, raise, or fold; and the betting proceeds around the table until all players have placed a bet or folded their cards. Next, the dealer will deal 3 cards face up on the table so all players can see them---these are the community cards or the "flop". The betting proceeds again with the player to the left of the dealer initiating the betting. After all players still in the game have placed their bets, then the dealer places another community card face up on the table---this is referred to as the "turn". This is when it is important to know how to play Texas Hold Em poker because you must evaluate your two hole cards with the 4 cards face up on the table and decide if you have a running chance to make any kind of a good hand that can win the pot. If it looks pretty bleak, then you should fold.
After this round of betting, the dealer now places the 5th community card on the table for all players to see and use and this card is called the "river". It is now time for the final round of betting where all players who are still in the game must again decide if they have a fighting chance against the other players with the 5 cards showing on the table and their hole cards----every player is making the same decision. Of course, there can always be someone who has next to nothing as far as a betting hand goes but he wants to make everyone else think he does, so he will "bluff" in his betting and you must figure out with what the other players have bet, and what you are holding, as to whether every bet is legitimate or is someone just bluffing to try to win the pot with a nothing hand. You must always have your antennae out after you learn how to play Texas Hold Em poker, because bluffing by one or more players is a very common occurrence and you must include that fact into your strategy for your own possible win.
After this round of betting, all players that are still in the game (have not yet folded their cards) must show their hands including their hole cards, and the best 5 card hand combination wins the pot. If there is more than one player with the same identical hand, then the players split the pot----also, if the community cards happen to be the best combination for everyone left around the table, then all players left sitting must split the pot. Now the dealer button moves clockwise to the next person at the table, and he becomes the dealer for the next hand.
You'll find that if you learn how to play Texas Hold Em, that a whole new world of fun, excitement, strategy, and psychology will open up for you in a way you can only imagine. Texas Hold Em truly is the most popular form of poker, and this is for good reason---it has wonderful strategy, fun to play, relatively easy to learn, and something that will make you want to keep playing for years and years.
About the Author:
Dean Evert writes, discusses and publishes works regarding poker strategies ebook. For more information on Poker Face visit our site.
0 comments:
Post a Comment