Poker is one of the most exciting casino games available. Whether it makes you think of James Bond, Las Vegas, or any other cultural reference in TV shows, movies, music, or books, it has great appeal. Among other casino games, poker stands in a category of its own, especially when it comes to playing peer-to-peer games, i.e. against other players. It requires skill but also an element of predicting or reading your opponents and trying to get the most out of your cards. But everyone has to start somewhere and it’s never too late to take action. In this article, Jilievo will look at Texas Hold’em Poker, a classic 5-card poker popular around the world.
How to play Texas Hold’em Poker
The goal of each round of poker is to form the best 5-card hand. Through a series of betting cycles, players can accumulate bets, then the remaining players in each round must turn over their cards and the winner takes all unless of course there is a tie. So how does it work? Well, you could have 10 different hands at the end of each round. They are formed using 5 community cards placed in the center of the table and your 2 trump cards.
Texas Hold’em Poker hand explained
The poker hands, from strongest to weakest, are:
- Lord’s Hall
- Hall break box
- Four of a Kind
- Flood
- Bin
- Lobby
- Three in One Type
- Two pairs
- Pair
- High card
Royal Flush is the rarest and therefore most powerful 5-card hand you can form. If you don’t know, you can refer to our article on how to play poker, in which the hands are explained and there are some situations to help you learn them.
Small and large blinds
Before Texas Hold’em begins, it is necessary to set a small and large blind. These will set the amount of bet each player at the table needs to pay before entering the round. This is a fixed amount in most games, and the big blind is always worth twice the small blind. For example, if the small blind is $1 then the big blind will be $2. This will accumulate the bet, and after the first cards are dealt, the other players need to match the big blind if they want to play in the round.
Actions during the betting cycle Texas Hold’em
You may be familiar with the poker orders Call, Raise, Check, and Fold. These are actions that players can take during the betting cycle. When a player calls, this means they meet the current bet level and place money in the pot, thus continuing the round. If a player does not want to bet more money, they can fold, that is, throw away their cards and lose the round. Raising is when someone decides to increase the bet and thus increase the pot. The other players need to react to this increase in bet, either staying in the round by calling or they can give up and fold their cards. Of course, you can also ask for a raise and then raise it even higher.
Once you’ve raised and the betting cycle is back to you, if you don’t want to raise again you can check. This means that you have placed an amount equal to the highest bet and now do not want to increase the bet any more.
The final order is All-in. This is when the player takes all of his chips and places them in the pot. Then the other players can also fold or go all-in. The amount doesn’t matter, so if one player bets all-in with $200, players with $100 or $300 will have to bet the same. In case one or more players also go all-in, all participating players must face down their trump cards and then the dealer must draw the remaining community cards (if there are cards left to draw).
Texas Hold’em Poker round
During each round of Texas Hold’em, there are 4 betting cycles in which players can increase their bets. Sometimes, a round can end early. This can happen if one player increases the bet and no other player wants to continue. In that case, the player takes the money and does not need to show cards.
Preflop
After placing the bet, the dealer will give each player 2 trump cards. After that, the first betting cycle begins and players can start raising their bets. Since no community cards have been placed yet, this is a dangerous time to raise aggressively. However, if you think you have a great hand, there is no rule against starting strong.
The Flop
When the first betting cycle ends, the dealer will draw three community cards. Everyone sitting around the poker table can start planning their moves because 3 of the 5 community cards have been dealt. The second betting cycle then takes place.
Sequence
After the second round of betting ends, the dealer draws the fourth community card, called the turn. With only one community card remaining, the player can raise the money again.
River
The fifth and final community card is dealt. The remaining players around the table have one last chance to raise their bets before they have to turn over their cards.
The Showdown
This is the decisive moment in each round of Texas Hold’em when the winner is determined. The player with the best 5-card hand will take the bet. If there is a tie, the pot is usually divided among the players with tied poker hands.
Tips on how to play Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is quite simple to play and you can learn the rules in just a few minutes. On the other hand, developing the game and perfecting your strategy will take more time, and there is no guaranteed formula on how to win. However, here are some tips that may help you on your way.
Don’t be afraid to rush
A typical mistake of beginners playing Texas Hold’em is to clench every hand.. This is especially evident after the flop, as now that you have some money invested in the pot, you can hope that the next two cards will strengthen what you have. You should not be afraid to throw away weak cards because they will not benefit you in the long run. Folding after the flop never feels great, but the money you can save by not calling big will get you further.
Play your position
Your position at the Texas Hold’em table decides everything in poker. The betting round takes place clockwise, if you are sitting in first or second position then you need to do a lot of guesswork when raising. Other players can comfortably wait in line to see how big the pot is and can then decide whether to continue playing or fold.
Play your starting hand
Don’t be shy if you have a good starting hand. You want to get the most out of these cards, so don’t let other players watch the flop for free: start raising preflop. This then also sets the stage for you to improve further in the next Texas Hold’em round, but be careful because the remaining players will most likely also have strong cards.
Draw the good hand
One of the hardest skills to learn of Texas Hold’em is how to raise the pot when you have a good hand. Raising early can cause other players to fold and this will leave you with only a handful of opponents to face. If you keep donating large amounts of money, you could eliminate every other player in the game and end up winning only a modest amount. The goal is to aim for pots that are significantly larger than the starting pot, so be patient with your increases and try to guess how other players will react.
Conclude
There are many great online poker rooms and casinos where you can start playing Texas Hold’em. A lot of these establishments offer free games where you can build your confidence and then progress to coin games. However, be aware that once you play poker for money, the strategy will change and you will have to be more wary of your opponents. This makes the game a lot more interesting because you can always learn new skills and try to build your strategy. You’ll also find plenty of online tournaments for players of all budgets. These games can be a lot of fun, and if you get better, you can get a chance to win prizes from some great pools.
Overall, Texas Hold’em is definitely worth learning and can be played at any level. The poker community is huge, so you will always find exciting gaming opportunities and a level playing field where you can improve your game.
