Texas Holdem

For anyone who has never played poker before, this version of the game is perhaps the best one to begin with. It is simple to learn and so popular that you’ll never want for opponents, either day or night. Just enter any online casino or poker room, day or night, and you will find these places buzzing with life.

First, let’s take a quick look at the hierarchy of poker hands. From strongest to weakest the list is as follows:

• Royal Flush – five card of the same suit from ten to ace.
• Straight Flush – Five cards in a row and the same suit. For example three of hearts to seven of hearts.
• Four of a kind – Four cards of the same value, for example four tens.
• Full house – Three cards of the same value and a pair. For example three jacks and a pair of twos.
• Flush - Five cards of the same suit.
• Straight – Five cards in a row of any suit.
• Three of a kind – any three cards of the same value.
• Two pairs – A set of pairs, for example two sixes and two queens.
• Pair – Two cards of the same value.
• High Card – When you’ve got nothing else, the card with the highest value.

How the game works

First a dealer needs to be established. This is done by drawing cards, the person who draws the highest one deals. This not only makes him or her feel nice and big, it also has a distinct advantage during the betting rounds as we shall see later. Turns are then taken to deal, moving left after each round.

Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are private cards, called pocket cards. All subsequent cards are communal, dealt face up to the centre of the table, and only dealt after a round of betting. After a maximum of five cards have been dealt face up the player in the round with the strongest hand, comprising his cards and the cards in centre of the table wins.

Betting Sequence

Before any cards are dealt there needs to be some cash to win (well, to make it really exciting). There are two different ways of ensuring this: Blind and Antes.

• Blinds – The player to the left of the dealer places the small blind. The player to the left of him places the large blind. The small blind is half the value of the large blind.
• Antes – Every player has to put in a set amount of cash before each round.

The blinds betting system is by far the most common. Usually poker rooms and casinos will use this system. Now we have something to play for let’s take a closer look at how the betting in stages with the dealing.

Dealing Sequence

The initial bets been placed, and the two pocket cards have been dealt. The person to the left of the large blind starts by folding, betting or raising. If no one has raised when it come to the large blind player, he is entitles to check. This continues until each player has chosen and the limit has been reached. If there are still more than two players left in the round three cards are then dealt face up and another round of betting commences. These three cards are known as the flop. After the flop comes the turn, a single card is dealt face up and there is another round of betting. After the turn come the river, which is again, a single card placed face up and the final round of betting. If there are two or more players left at this stage there will be a showdown where all cards are revealed and, of course, winner takes all.

Just a final point, the dealer gets an advantage because he or she bets last, of the all the players who have not bet any cash.