If you’ve never played Texas Hold’em before, Welcome! You’ve come to the right spot to learn to play poker. Anyone can learn how to play Texas Holdem poker in only a few minutes and enjoy the game as much as a seasoned professional. However mastering the game takes many years of experience. This simple guide will layout the general rules and next time we’ll uncover the secrets to consistently making money playing Texas Hold’em on the internet or at the poker table with your coworkers.
Before the Game Starts:
Poker Supplies: A standard 52-card deck is a no brainer. It’s also very helpful to have enough poker chips to go around. This makes betting and stacking much easier than playing with actual coins. The last poker supply is not really a necessity but certainly makes the experience a little more authentic and that is a poker table.
Determining the Blinds: The big blind and small blind is the amount of money that 2 players front before a hand is dealt. This ‘buy-in’ allows them to see the remaining number of hands until the dealer button makes it’s way around the table. In order to determine the blinds you all need to agree on a starting buy-in amount. Whatever you do, don’t play for free. If there is nothing at stake every starting hand will be played ruin the game for everyone, so pick a buy-in amount whether it’s $5, $10, or $20. If you’re starting with $20 then playing for $0.25 and $0.50 is a good starting point. As the night wears on these amounts can be adjusted.
Texas Holdem Rules
- Post Blinds: The player directly to the dealers left will post the small blind (generally half the big blind) the player to his left will post the big blind. You should make sure the “pot’s right” before dealing to maintain some structure.
- Deal Pocket Cards: Each player is dealt 2 cards face down starting with the player directly to the dealers left. These 2 cards are also known as hole cards.
- Pre-Flop Bet: After everyone has checked out their pocket card they should determine whether to bet, call, or raise. Betting starts with the player left of the person who posted the big blind. Any bets placed should be equal to that of the big blind which in our case is $0.50. At this point the players have enough cards to form a 5 card poker hand.
- Flop: After the “pot’s right” the dealer should discard the top card and flip the next 3 cards over. This is known as the flop.
- Bet: Another round of betting starting with the player to the dealers left.
- Turn: The top card is again discarded and 1 card is placed face up. This is known as the Turn card.
- Bet: Another round of betting, however in most games the betting amount is doubled.
- River: The dealer should then burn another card and flip over a final card known as the river card. There are now 5 community cards face-up on the table. Each player should make the best possible 5 card poker hand using all card in play.
- Bet: A final betting round staring with the player left of the dealer.
- Showdown: All players left in the hand must show their cards staring with the player left of the dealer. Any player that wishes to who can’t beat the previous hand showing may ‘muck’ their cards as not to reveal their poor choice of starting hand. The player with the highest 5 card poker hand wins the pot.
Have a question about learning to play texas holdem? Leave a comment below, we’re happy to help!
