Monday, September 29, 2008

Texas Holdem Basics For All

By Jen Gladstone

The basics of Texas hold' em has play beginning with each player receiving two cards, face down. The player in the small blind gets the first card and the player in the button seat gets that last card. A standard poker deck is used.

The cards that each player gets down are what are called the hole cards. These are the only cards that the player will get that he doesn't have to use as community cards. These cards will not be shown until the show down.

This game now goes to the pre flop betting round. Play also starts with the player to the left of the dealer. And it always continues on in a clockwise position.

Betting continues until every player folds. They could also eliminate all of their chips. Finally, the player could call the other bets of the remaining players.

Then there is an additional round. A single card called the fourth street card or the tower card is played after the flop. Another round is then played.

After the flop ends, one community card is played. The pros call this the turn card. Some do call it the fourth street card as well.

In a professional tournament it is customary for the dealer to burn a card before the flop, the turn, and the river. Burning a card means to bury the bottom card. It could give a player the advantage.

Then there is another round of betting, and if necessary, the showdown. It is common, if you play this game in a casino, for the dealer to burn a card before the flop, turn, and river. This is to ensure that players who might bet can't see the back of the next card.

If a player bets and everyone else folds, then the last player wins the pot and does not have to show his hole cards. If there are a minimum of two or more players remaining after the final bet then there will be a showdown. Now each player will be playing from seven cards, the two in the hole and the five community cards.

Each player plays the best five-card poker hand possible from the seven cards. If the player uses just the community cards and not his hole cards then it is said that he is playing the board. The best result that can come from this is a spilt pot with those that stayed in.

This type of play will continue. Players will eventually break their bank. Whoever is sitting with the biggest bank is usually the last man standing.

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