Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em: the most popular of the community card poker games. It is also the most popular poker variant played in most casinos in the US.
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At casino Hold'em tables, a round plastic marker called the dealer "button" is placed in front of the player who would be dealing if a house dealer were not provided. The button is moved one seat clockwise after each game and the card distribution and betting starts to the left of that position. Each player is dealt two cards face down. Then, a total of five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table in three betting segments (3-1-1). After all the cards are dealt the players make the best hand that they can by combining either one, both, or neither of their two hole cards with five community cards.
Before each player is dealt two down cards, the player at the immediate left of the button, called the "Small Blind" is forced to bet £1 (half the minimum bet). Then the player to his left and two seats to the left of the button, called the "Big Blind", is forced to bet £2. Each player is then dealt a two card hand. Then the player at the left of the big blind is first to act and he must either call the big blind's £2 bet, raise, or fold his hand. Continuing in turn clockwise, all the players around the table either call, raise or fold. When the betting gets back around to the small blind, he or she can fold and lose only the half minimum bet of £1 placed earlier, call the amount necessary to get up to the betting level or raise £2 if there is a raise left. The big blind is then the last to act before any cards are turned up in the middle. The blinds are played in the first round only 2.
The dealer turns three cards up in the center of the table. This is the "Flop" in Hold'em. As always, the player at the left of the button is first to act. There are no more forced bets and the players can all check around if they want to. Bets right after the flop are at the £2 minimum bet level. 3. Now comes the "Turn" card with more betting that now goes to the higer level: £4. 4. Finally the last, or "River" card is turned up. The last £4 betting round takes place. The players still in the contest reveal their hole cards and the highest hand wins the pot.
The first thing a Holdem player should learn is which cards are worth playing, and which should be folded. Many beginning players stay in a hand with cards that have little or no future, and it ends up showing in there chip count. Remember that no two cards alone can be unbeatable, and once the flop falls things that once looked good may no longer be worth pursuing. Still, to give yourself the best chance to succeed, play only the premium hands.
The best starting hands are:
• Large Pairs - Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks. Even pairs of tens and nines and eights are high quality starting hands. Play them.
• Aces with suited High Cards - When you get an Ace with a K, Q, J, or even a ten, many good things can happen. You already have high card. If a flush comes, you'll have the best possible one because of your ace. High straights and even a straight flush are possible with these cards.
• Suited Faces Cards and Tens - While it's nicer to have an ace in the hole, suited face cards are playable hands. They hold a lot of potential including high pair with a strong kicker, straights, and flushes.
• Aces with unsuited High Cards - Aces with an unsuited partner can still give you top pair with a high kicker, or a high straight. Because other players may also have an ace, the strength of the second card in your hand is important. If two players tie, that second card, or 'kicker' will decide the winner. This is why A-10 is a playable hand, and A-6 is not. (A-10 can also turn into a high straight). So while aces are highly sought after, do not feel the need to play every hand in which you are dealt an ace.
• King with Face Card - A King with a Queen or with a Jack is a playable hand. But, it is not as strong as you may think. Still, two face cards rank high enough that seeing the flop is often a good idea. These are the strongest starting hands in a Texas Holdem game.
Other hands are playable depending on the circumstances at the table, but beginners may want to stick to playing only these premium hands until they understand the game fully. Playing these hands will not guarantee that you will be a winner. Poker doesn't work that way. Even pairs of Aces get beaten. But, if you want to win a pot, finding any of the cards listed on the chart in your hand is a good place to start.
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