Texas Hold Em Rules
Texas Hold 'Em (or Texas Holdem) is the primary version of Poker played in many casinos, and it's the version seen on television shows like the Channel 5's World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker.
These are the basic rules for Texas Hold 'Em Poker.
The Dealer
A round disc known as a `dealer button` moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player is the dealer as the deal is advanced from player to player as the game moves along.
The Shuffle
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-playing-card deck.
The Blinds
Most hands of poker begin by some form of forced betting. This is to ensure that there is action with every hand. Hold'em is played with two blinds (a bet before the pocket cards are dealt). The two players to the left of the dealer start with placing blind bets, small and big blind. The small blind is posted by the first player and the big blind by the second. The big blind is always the minimum bet at the table and the small blind is half.
The Deal
Each player is dealt two cards, face down in a clockwise direction beginning with the player to the left of the dealer. These are known as the `hole cards.`
Betting Begins
During a betting round, each player in turn takes one of the following actions:
• Check Passing on making an action(if no bet is in play)
• Bet Put money in the pot
• Fold Forfeit cards and your chance of winning the pot
• Call To match/equal another player's bet
• Raise To increase another player's bet
• Re-Raise To increase another player's raise
The Flop
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating.
The dealer then places the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the `flop.`
NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up on the table. Players can use any combination of the community cards and their own two hole cards, but not necessarily inclusive of the hole cards, to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.
After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when it's their turn to bet.
The Turn Or Fourth Street
The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the table. This, the fourth community card, is called the `turn` or `Fourth Street.`
The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round of betting.
The River Or Fifth Street
The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on the table. This card is called the `river` or `Fifth Street.`
Final Betting and The Winner
Players can now use any combination of seven cards, the five community cards and the two hole cards known only to them, to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.
The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer (the button).
After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made the last raise shows their hand first.
Showdown
Those who’ve made the necessary calls finally get to see if they’ve made the right decision.
The person who bet or raised last will be the first to show their hand. But if everyone checked throughout the fourth round of betting, the first person to the left of the button shows theirs first.
A player is only required to show their hand if it is higher than the first one shown meaning that the combination of their two cards and the five community cards makes the better five card hand. If it is lower than the first shown then they can throw it into the card pile unseen (called mucking or folding).
While the player with the best five card hand wins and gets the pot, sometimes there is a tie in which case the pot gets split.
Interesting Points
`A player who exposes his cards during the play may incur a penalty, but will not have his hand killed.`
