Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em (or simply Hold'em) is the most popular game in North American and European casinos and poker halls. From the popularity of such big events as WPT and WSOP, Texas Hold'em has become so widespread that it has practically developed into a pastime! This is why so many people have started to play it on FlandersPoker and similar websites.
Before you participate in a Texas Hold'em player's camp, it would not hurt if you made yourself familiar with the rules. In Texas Hold'em, all players receive two cards which only they may see. These cards are called the "hole cards". On the board, five community cards are dealt face-up. During the game, the main goal is to unite these cards with one's own hole cards to create the best possible five-card poker hand. Below, you can find the ranking of poker hands.
Texas Hold'em's three main variants can be distinguished from each other mostly by their betting limits. The variants are:
- Fix Limit Texas Hold'em: The betting limit of each single game and a bet round has been set in advance.
- No Limit Texas Hold'em: Any player at any time may bet all of his or her chips.
- Pot Limit Texas Hold'em: All players may bet only what is in the pot.
All the above mentioned Texas Hold'em variants are playable on-line for free (using play money), and are played exactly as would be if real money were used.
The way to play Texas Hold'em is:
Hold'em button
If you want to learn the rules of the game using a more practical approach, we would like to draw your attention to our free poker tables, at which you have the opportunity to develop your poker skills. You do not have to anything more than to just visit our free poker download site and then install our poker software. After this, you may start to do Texas Hold'em.
However, if you would like to learn the exact rules of Texas Hold'em, the instructions below will help you.
The Blinds
In Texas Hold'em, the dealer is represented by a disc called "the button", which also signifies who the nominal dealer will be for the game. Before beginning the game, the nearest player located in a clockwise direction from the button posts the small blind, which is typically half of the small bet (for example $1 in a $2/$4 game). After the small blind has been placed - and again this step is made in a clockwise direction - the player sitting next to the small blind posts the big blind, which is always the big bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). All players only then obtain their two hole cards.
Pre-Flop
After they have looked at their hole cards, all players have the opportunity to play their cards by calling or raising. As stated before, this bet is a full unit of bet. Accordingly, in a $2/$4 Texas Hold'em game, it would cost $2 to call in this initial round of betting (known as the "pre-flop").
In Texas Hold'em, the actions are bets, calls or raises. These steps depend on the previous player's actions. All players have the opportunity to fold their cards at any time. The first player may bet, call or raise. The next players may call or raise. To call, it is necessary to place the same pot which has been bet by the previous player. To raise, the previous bet needs to be equal to and exceeded (raised).
Comment: the betting structure changes according to the variations of the game. For betting actions in Fix Limit Hold'em, No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Hold'em, you may find information below.
The Flop
The flop is nothing more than the three cards dealt face up onto the board after the initial bet. In Texas Hold'em, the three cards on the flop count as community cards, and are therefore available to all players still in the hand. Play begins with the active player located directly clockwise from the button. All bets and raises are made in small bets ($2 units in the $2/$4 games).
The Turn
When the betting action is accomplished for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up onto the board. In Texas Hold'em, the fourth common card in the game is the turn. The play begins with the active player directly clockwise to the button. In this round, the unit of the bid from the small bet becomes the big bet. For example, in a $2 /$4, the game is shifted to $4 bets.
The River
After the betting action has been completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up onto the board. In Texas Hold'em, the river is the fifth and the last community card. The betting begins with the active player directly clockwise from the button. The rules are the same as those written down in the section about the fourth card.
The Showdown
If more than one poker player is left after the final betting round in the game, the last bettor (or raiser) shows his or her cards. In the case when nobody bets in the last round, then the player immediately clockwise from the button shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot in Texas Hold'em. In the case when the best five-card hand is held by several players at once, the pot is then divided between them in equal proportions.
According to Texas Hold'em rules, all suits are equal. Therefore, in the game, the pot gets divided more frequently than in other variations of poker. After the pot is given, a new Texas Hold'em game may be started. The button is transferred clockwise to the next player and then all players get new hands.
Fix Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em
In the game of Texas Hold'em, the rules of Fix Limit, No limit and Pot Limit are equal to each other, with some exceptions. The differences are:
Fix Limit Texas Hold'em
In Fix Limit Texas Hold'em, any player may bet no more than four times in each single betting round, which involves (1) the bet, (2) the raise, (3) the re-raise and (4) the cap (the last raise). In No limit and Pot Limit Texas Hold'em, there are no limitations to the number of raises.
No Limit Texas Hold'em
Minimum raise: In No Limit Texas Hold'em, the raise cannot be smaller than any bet or raise made in the same round. For example, if the first player places a $5 bet, then the next player has to raise at least by $5 as well (in this case the total bet increases to $10).
The maximum raise is limited to the number of your chips (the sum of your chips on the table in front of you).
Pot Limit Texas Hold'em
Minimum raise: the sum of the raise cannot be smaller than the raise or bet made previously in the same round. For example, if the first player places a $5 bet, then the next player has to raise by at least $5 as well (in this case, the total bet increases to $10).
Maximum raise: the size of the pot, which contains the active pot, plus the total bet on the board, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.
Learn Texas Hold'em free!
If you would like to practise Texas Hold'em, then simply download FlandersPoker software and join our free poker games, where you may play online against other players. As opposed to our games played using real money, there is no risk in our free games; you may get to know your way around Texas Hold'em rules without any worrying.
We hope to see you again soon in our poker hall!
Good luck at the tables!
