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.
The play starts when the designated dealer (designated by a button placed in front of him) calls for the enforced bets to go into the pot. These bets are called antes and blinds. The first player to the left of the dealer posts the first blind bet called the small blind. Then the second player to the dealer's left posts the second blind bet called the big blind. In most Texas Hold Em games, the small blind is of the big blind. The dealer will now deal two cards face down to each player seen only by the player they are dealt to, and these cards are called the hole cards. From these two cards, each player must decide whether they are good enough to continue betting and playing, or should he fold---not bet or play anymore in that hand.
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.
Now, the game is at the point where the last community or face up card is dealt by the dealer and this card is the "river". All the players that are left in the game at this point, re-evaluate their hands, and place their bets accordingly. But remember, if you know how to play Texas Hold Em, you know that there may be a player left who has been bluffing his way throughout the game, and he really doesn't have a good hand at all, he just wants you to think that, so he can jack up the ante and make more money if he can pull off the bluff. This is where the psychology of the game enters in, players psyching each other out, and putting their best "poker faces" on.
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.
The play starts when the designated dealer (designated by a button placed in front of him) calls for the enforced bets to go into the pot. These bets are called antes and blinds. The first player to the left of the dealer posts the first blind bet called the small blind. Then the second player to the dealer's left posts the second blind bet called the big blind. In most Texas Hold Em games, the small blind is of the big blind. The dealer will now deal two cards face down to each player seen only by the player they are dealt to, and these cards are called the hole cards. From these two cards, each player must decide whether they are good enough to continue betting and playing, or should he fold---not bet or play anymore in that hand.
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.
Now, the game is at the point where the last community or face up card is dealt by the dealer and this card is the "river". All the players that are left in the game at this point, re-evaluate their hands, and place their bets accordingly. But remember, if you know how to play Texas Hold Em, you know that there may be a player left who has been bluffing his way throughout the game, and he really doesn't have a good hand at all, he just wants you to think that, so he can jack up the ante and make more money if he can pull off the bluff. This is where the psychology of the game enters in, players psyching each other out, and putting their best "poker faces" on.
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 gathers information and writes about subjects like poker strategies ebook. For more information on Online Texas Holdem Poker Games visit our site.
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