According to some Texas Hold ‘em is the single greatest style of Poker in existence. In fact, one might even argue that it is in fact the most popular type of poker game to emerge, period (as attested by the large number of people who love it and engage in regular play). Regardless, it is actually a very easy game to learn to play and will certainly keep you and your buddies entertained. Likewise, we’re talking about a style of poker that’s also highly accessible for beginners. Anyway, without further ado, let’s learn how to play Texas Hold ‘em! Yeehaw!
What you’ll need to play:
- 52-Card Deck
- A dealer button
- Chips
Texas Hold ‘em is a game designed for between 2-20 players and the average game will only take around 15 minutes to complete. To start things off, the immediate 2 players on the left of the dealer are to put out “blind bets”. Note* – a blind bet is simply a bet made before dealing; ergo – those betting are “blind” to the outcome and have yet to see a single card. The first poker player on the left puts out what’s called a “small blind”, while the other lays out a “big blind”. Typically, the big blind should be the smallest possible bet, while the small blind ranges from ½ to 1/3 of that amount.
Next, each player is given 2 cards which are placed face down. The very first move goes to the player to the left of the “big blind” player. At this point the player has the option to:
- Call
- Raise
- Fold
Afterwards, the procedure continues around the table (clockwise) until all players have put their bets in. Once this has been completed, 3 cards are placed in the center of the table by the dealer. Naturally, these cards (also called the “flop”) are community cards and everyone playing can use them to build their own hand (which is hopefully higher than that of the other players).
Once the flop has been dealt, the process once again, continues in a clockwise fashion around the board until each player is finished (each player can check or bet too). Then, we see a 4th card emerge, often called the “turn” card. Then, once again, betting resumes around the table.
Lastly, a 5th and final card is dealt (also called the “river” card), afterwards, betting resumes around the table once more. Then, the remaining gamers reveal their cards and the winner is the player with the best hand (including the cards placed on the table/board).
There you have it, that’s how to play Texas Hold ‘em, enjoy!