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Learning Texas Holdem Poker Strategy

Best ways to learn poker strategy. There are many ways you can go to learn poker strategy. However, some will help you a lot, while others will waste your time and we have a bunch of options in the middle. We all have a limited time to devote for any purpose, including learning Texas Holdem rules or poker hands rankings. Therefore, knowing the.

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What Is Texas Hold'em Poker?

Texas Hold'em is by far the most popular of all poker variations. All of the marquee tournaments around the world (including those played at the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, the European Poker Tour, and elsewhere) feature the no-limit variation of this game. In fact, Texas hold'em is so popular some who aren't familiar with poker don't realize there are other ways to play the game.

  • Good starting hand selection is the building blocks of a winning poker strategy. This article highlights the top Texas Hold'em hands and the dangers of playing with poor starting hands.
  • Free poker training videos that focus on providing no limit Hold'em strategy and tips. All of these Texas Hold'em strategy videos are totally free and cover a range of different stakes and game types. Watch these free trainign videos and learn how to play winning Texas Hold'em poker.

It takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Learning how to play Texas hold'em poker is not that difficult, but don't let the simplicity of the game mislead you. The number of possible game situations is so vast that the game can be very complex, when playing at a high level. That's the inspiration for the famous saying about Texas hold'em that 'it takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.'

When playing the game for the first time, you will want to be familiar with the basic rules for Texas hold'em that are explained below.

Texas Hold'em Rules

So how do you play Texas hold'em? In Texas hold'em players are trying to make the best five-card poker hand according to traditional poker rankings. In this respect, hold'em is not unlike other poker games like five-card draw. However, the way players construct their hands in Texas hold'em is a little different than in draw poker.

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It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

In hold'em each player is dealt two cards face down (the 'hole cards'), then over the course of subsequent rounds five more cards are eventually dealt face up in the middle of the table. These face up cards are called the 'community cards' because each player uses them to make a five-card poker hand.

The five community cards are dealt in three stages:
Stage 1: The first three community cards are called the 'flop.'
Stage 2' Then just one card is dealt, called the 'turn.'
Stage 3: Finally one more card, the fifth and final community card, is dealt — the 'river.'

Players construct their five-card poker hands using the best available five cards out of the seven total cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards). This can be done by using both of the hole cards in combination with three community cards, one hole card in combination with four community cardsm or no hole cards and playing all five community cards — whatever works to make the best five-card hand.

If the betting causes all but one player to fold, the lone remaining player wins the pot without having to show any cards. For that reason, players don't always have to hold the best hand to win the pot. It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands. If two or more players make it all of the way to the showdown after the last community card is dealt and all betting is complete, then the only way to win the pot is to have the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Texas

Let's get into some specifics including how to deal Texas hold'em and how the betting works. A good way to explain the order of play is to talk about some of the key positions at the table — the button and the blinds (small blind and big blind).

The Button

Play moves clockwise around the table, starting with action to the left of the dealer button. The button is a round disc that sits in front of a player and is rotated one seat to the left every hand. When playing in casinos and poker rooms, the player with the dealer button doesn't actually deal the cards (the poker room hires someone to do that). In home games with friends, though, the player with the button usually does deal the hands.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

Generally, the first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a small blind and a big blind to initiate the betting. From there, action occurs on multiple streets: preflop, the flop, the turn and the river (explained further below).

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer. In Texas hold'em, the player on button, or last active player closest to the button, receives last action on all postflop streets of play.

While the dealer button dictates which players have to post the small and big blinds, it also determines where the dealing of the cards begin. The player to the immediate left of the dealer button in the small blind receives the first card and then the dealer pitches cards around the table in a clockwise motion from player to player until each has received two starting cards.

The Blinds

As mentioned, before every new hand, two players at the table are obligated to post small and big blinds. These are forced bets that begin the wagering. Without these blinds, the game would be very boring because no one would be required to put any money into the pot. Players could just wait around until they are dealt pocket aces and only play then. The blinds, however, ensure there will be 'action' on every hand.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals. In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals. As the number of players keeps decreasing and the stacks of the remaining players keep getting bigger, it is a necessity that the blinds keep increasing throughout a tournament. In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

The player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to his or her direct left posts the big blind. The small blind is generally half the amount of the big blind, although this stipulation varies from room to room and can also be dependent of the game being played. For example, in a '$1/$2' game of Texas hold'em, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.

First Betting Round: Preflop

The first round of betting takes place right after each player has been dealt two hole cards. The first player to act is the player to the left of the big blind, a position referred to as 'under the gun' because the player has to act first. This player has three options:

  • Call: match the amount of the big blind
  • Raise: increase the bet within the specific limits of the game
  • Fold: throw the hand away

If the player chooses to fold, he or she is no longer eligible to win the current hand.

Players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

The amount a player can raise to depends on the game that is being played. Most commonly in a game of no-limit Texas hold'em, the minimum opening raise must be at least twice the big blind, and the maximum raise can be all of the chips a player has in his or her stack (an 'all-in' bet).

There are other betting variations in hold'em poker. In fixed-limit hold'em (or just 'limit hold'em), a raise is always exactly twice the big blind. In pot-limit hold'em (played much less often than the other variations), players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

After the first player ('under the gun') acts, play proceeds in a clockwise fashion around the table with each player also having the same three options — to call, to raise, or fold. Once the last bet is called and the action is 'closed,' the preflop round is over and play moves on to the 'flop.'

Second Betting Round: The Flop

After the first preflop betting round has been completed, the first three community cards are dealt and a second betting round follows involving only the players who have not folded already.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

In this betting round (and subsequent ones), action starts with the first active player to the left of the button. Along with the options to bet, call, fold, or raise, a player now has the option to 'check' if no betting action has occurred beforehand. A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

Again betting continues until the last bet or raise has been called (which closes the action). It also can happen that every player simply chooses not to be and checks around the table, which also ends the betting round.

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Third Betting Round: The Turn

Call – match the amount of the big blind

The fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face up following all betting action on the flop. Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to that on the previous street of play. Again players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

Final Betting Round: The River

Fold – throw the hand away

The fifth community card, called the river, is dealt face up following all betting action on the turn. Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to what took play on the previous street of play. Once more the remaining players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

After all betting action has been completed, the remaining players in the hand with hole cards now expose their holdings to determine a winner. This is called the showdown.

The Showdown

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available

The remaining players open their hole cards, and with the assistance of the dealer a winning hand is determined. The player with the best combination of five cards wins the pot according to traditional poker hand rankings. These hand rankings aren't specifically part of Texas hold'em rules, but apply to many different poker games.

  • Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g., A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥
  • Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g., 9♣8♣7♣6♣5♣
  • Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g., Q♣Q♥Q♦Q♠4♦
  • Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., J♣J♥J♠8♦8♥
  • Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g., A♠J♠8♠5♠2♠
  • Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g., Q♣J♦10♥9♠8♦
  • Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g., 8♣8♠8♦K♣4♥
  • Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., A♠A♣J♦J♣7♠
  • One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g., 10♥10♣9♥4♦2♦
  • High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., A♣J♦10♠5♣2♥ would be called 'ace-high'

Remember, players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available (their two hole cards and the five community cards).

For example, if the board is showing 9♣5♠K♦3♠A♥, a player with the two hole cards 9♠ would have two pair (aces and nines), and would lose to a player who has 9♦9♥ for three of a kind (three nines).

Texas Hold Em Strategy

Learning hold'em poker begins with understanding how hands are dealt and the order of play as described above. Of course, learning Texas hold'em rules is just the beginning, as the next step is to learn strategy which involves understanding what constitutes good starting hand selection, the odds and probabilities associated with the game, the significance of position and getting to act last during those postflop betting rounds, and many other aspects of the game.

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Texas Hold ‘em is one of the simplest variants of poker and a great game to start with if you have never played before. The game is very logical and is one of the most popular poker variants played in casinos in the United States. However, if you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to get started by playing Texas Hold ‘em online because you don’t have to worry about distractions like dealing, shuffling and attempting to read the faces of the other players.

What is Texas Hold ‘em Poker?

Texas Hold ‘em is a community card poker game in which game play is focused just as much on betting as it is on the cards being played. Texas Hold ‘em is played with a rotating dealer. During each hand, players are dealt two cards face-down, and three shared (a.k.a. community) cards are dealt face-up. A hand of Texas Hold ‘em consists of a minimum of one and a maximum of four betting rounds. A hand ends when all but one of the players have folded, or the final betting round is complete and multiple players are still in the hand – whichever comes first. The goal is to win as many chips as you can, one pot at a time. The game has several varieties, including No-Limit and Spread-Limit. Here, we will explore the basics of Limit Texas Hold ‘em.

The Rules of Texas Hold ‘em Poker

Small and large blinds are part of the rules of play for Texas Hold ‘em.

If you’re going to play Texas Hold ‘em, it’s best to start with the basics.

Blinds:

These are forced bets that take place before the cards are dealt. Blinds take the place of traditional “antes” and dictate the stakes of the game. In Texas Hold ‘em Poker there are two blinds, a small blind and a big blind:

Small Blind:

The player to the left of the dealer puts out the small blind. It is a mandatory bet. The small blind is generally half the size of the big blind.

Big Blind:

The player two seats left of the dealer puts out the big blind (also a mandatory bet). The big blind is generally equal to the minimum bet.
The blinds count toward those players’ total investment in the first round of betting. This means that if the bet isn’t raised pre-flop, the small blind will only need to put in another half of the bet in order to call and the big blind will not have to put anything more in the pot. However, the big blind has the option to raise his or her blind.

Pocket cards, also called hole cards, are personal cards dealt to each player.

Pocket Cards:

At the beginning of each hand, players are dealt two face-down cards. These are called pocket cards or hole cards, and they should not be shown to the other players.

Pre-Flop:

This is the first round of betting. Players privately take a look at their pocket cards and decide which action they want to take. In the game of Texas Hold ‘em, only one player can take an action at a time. Players have three options:

Raise:

The first player may raise a bet by doubling the amount of the big blind. After that, players raise the amount of one bet in addition to the amount of the previous bet.

Call:

When players choose to call, they match the amount of the big blind.

Texas Holdem Strategy Chart

Fold:

Players who have bad hands may choose to fold. This means that the player throws away his or her hand, pays nothing and waits for the next hand to play again.

Betting Round:

A betting round ends when all players have had a chance to act and all players who have not yet folded have bet the same amount of money for the round.

Burn Card:

After the first betting round has ended, the dealer discards the top card of the deck, known as a burn card.

The Flop:

After the burn card has been discarded, the dealer flips three cards face-up. This is known as the “flop”, and they are community cards that anyone can use in combination with their two pocket cards in order to form a poker hand. Another betting round begins. Post-flop betting opens up other options, such as check raising. You may also want to disguise your hand, especially if you have the nuts.

The Turn:

Once the second round of betting concludes, the dealer once again places a burn card face-down. The dealer then places one card face-up, known as the “turn card.” The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. In this round and the final round of betting, the size of the bet is doubled. In Limit poker, this is also known as the “big bet.”

The River:

The dealer burns another card and places a final card face-up, called the “river card.” Players now use any of the five cards on the table or the two pocket cards to form a five-card poker hand. A final round of betting begins.

Tips For Texas Holdem Poker

The order of community cards dealt includes the Flop, Turn, and the River.

Showdown:

Learning Texas Holdem Poker Strategygy

If after the final round of betting more than one player is still in hand, the showdown takes place. Players who have not yet folded reveal their hands. The player with best hand wins the game.

Texas Hold ‘em Poker Tips

Keep these helpful hints in mind as you play Texas Hold ‘em Poker:

Blind Stealing:

If you have a poor hand, you may want to take an action called blind stealing. This occurs when you are in a late position and you raise with the goal of making the blinds fold hands that are also weak. Blind stealing generally occurs when all players have folded to someone in late position.

Evaluate Your Cards:

Learning Texas Holdem Poker Strategy Free

Becoming an expert at Texas Hold ‘em is all about learning how to properly evaluate your cards. A good rule of thumb is that you should seriously consider folding prior to the flop if you have two non-pair cards that are both less than 10. Much of Texas Hold ‘em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. If you get a bad hand, you will need to be patient and wait for the good hands to come to you.

Learning Texas Holdem Poker Strategy Game

Be Reasonable:

Texas Holdem Tips

While poker often involves bluffing, when it comes to Texas Hold ‘em you don’t want to get sucked in too far when you have a weak hand.