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How to Play Texas Holdem

learn texas holdemThere are many variations of poker, the most popular being Texas Holdem. This is the game that you see played on TV and in the big money tournaments. Texas Holdem is probably the easiest version of poker to learn next to Omaha.

To play Texas Holdem a standard 52 card deck is used, no jokers or wild cards are used. Texas Holdem is usually played with six or ten players at a table. The dealer is determined by a dealer button which is placed on the table in front of the dealing player. The dealer button moves around the table one player at a time in a clockwise direction. Before any cards are dealt the two players immediately to the left of the dealer have to place a blind bet into the pot. These are the small blind and the big blind they are a pre determined amount, the small blind is half the value of the big blind.

Once the blinds are placed the cards are dealt face down, each player has two cards known as pocket cards. Once each player has viewed their pocket cards it is time to start the betting. The Players can call, raise or fold. If none of the players raise, then the player who placed the blind will have the option of checking. When a player checks he stays in play but does not have to place any more chips in the pot.

Once all the players have had their go, the dealer discards the top card from the packtexas calculatem this is known as a burn card. The dealer then deals three cards known as the flop onto the table face up, these are the community cards. The community cards are used along with the players pocket cards to make a five card hand. Once the community cards are in place another round of betting occurs. Each player can call, raise or fold again depending on their hand strength.

Once the betting has finished the dealer places another community card face up on the table this is called the turn. Once again a round of betting occurs and each player evaluates a five card hand using the community cards and pocket cards then acts accordingly.
After each player has bet on the turn the dealer burns another card from the top of the pack and places another community card onto the table called the river. Then another round of betting occurs with each player re evaluating their five card hand and acting accordingly.
After the final round of betting the players who have not folded turn their cards face up, this is called the showdown. The winner is the player with the best five card hand, compiled of a combination of the community cards and their pocket cards. See Winning Hands


The game is fairly easy to learn and a good way to practice is to join an online poker website with beginners rooms and free play.

A really good way to familiarise yourself with which positions to play strong or weak and which hands hold the best value, is to use an automated poker tool such as Texas Calculatem. Check it out!

 

With its beginners tables and free poker school Ladbrokes poker is the ideal place for beginners to practice. Why not check it out. Click here!

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