Texas Hold’em
Poker Rules
There are three kinds of Hold'em games. In Limit games,
bets and raises are set at a fixed amount. A typical limit
game would be $10/$20 ($10 minimum bet for the first two
rounds, and $20 minimum for the last two rounds). The
big blind would be equal to the minimum bet ($10) and
the small blind would be half the minimum bet ($5). Each
round of betting is capped at a maximum number of raises,
depending on the rules of the game. In online Hold'em
games, raises are generally capped at four bets per round.
New players will start with low-limit games and gradually
work their way up to higher limits as their skill progresses.
In No Limit Hold'em, the number of chips you have in front
of you determines the maximum bet. Players can bet and raise
by any amount, and at any time, a player can go all-in by
pushing all their chips toward the center of the table.
To call, the other players at the table must push in all
of their chips, up to the amount of their opponent's all-in
bet. This is the type of Hold'em that is played on the pro
level, and on TV shows such as the World Poker Tour and
the World Series of Poker.
Pot Limit Hold'em is similar to No Limit, except that the
number of chips currently in the pot determines the maximum
bet. This allows players to experience the excitement and
strategy of No Limit Hold'em without the necessity of a
large bankroll. Pot Limit games usually have a maximum buy-in
(the number of chips you start with) to keep the game competitive.
The game begins with each player being dealt two pocket
cards face down with five community
cards dealt face up. The player who makes the best five-card
poker hand with any combination of their two face down cards
and the five community
cards wins
the round. In a Texas Hold'em game, a disc or other marker
is used to indicate which person is the dealer for the round.
Action is always initiated to the left of the dealer and
continues in a clockwise manner. At the end of each hand
the button is moved clockwise to the next player, who then
becomes the dealer.
There are no ante in Hold'em instead; forced bets called
blinds are used. Before the cards are dealt, the person
to the left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind,
which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet. The person
to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which
is equal to the minimum bet.
The first two cards are dealt to each player face down
(these are called the hole
card), and the person to the left of the big blind starts
the first round of betting. (Notice that the big blind and
small blind do not get to look at their cards before betting,
thus the term blind).
In the first round of betting, each player has three options:
call, raise or fold. To call, the player must place a bet
that is equal to the last bet placed. (For the first player
in the round, this would be equal to the minimum bet.) A
player may choose to raise their call bet by an additional
amount, which the other players will then have to call.
If one's hole card are not favourable, the player may simply
choose to fold and sit out the round.
After all the players have finished the first round of
betting, the first three community
cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is called
the flop.
The second and all subsequent betting rounds start with
the first player to the dealer's left, and players now have
the option to check. By checking, the player indicates interest
in the pot without placing a bet. Any player may choose
to place a bet, which the other players must then call.
Players can still raise, if a bet has been made, or fold,
if their hand is not favorable. After the second betting
round, the fourth community card is dealt face-up (this
is called the turn
card). In limit games, the minimum bet doubles in the last
two rounds of betting. After the third betting round, the
fifth and final community card is dealt (this is called
the river
card). A final round of betting ensues, and afterwards each
player turns his or her hole
card face up. The highest hand that can be made with
any combination of a player's hole
card and the five community
cards wins the pot. If two or more players have the
same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (the
kicker)
is used to break a tie. If there is no kicker
card (the tied players have used both hole cards, or have
the exact same hand), then the pot is split between them.
The dealer button is then passed clockwise to the next player
and another round of play begins.
General Sequence of Texas Hold'em Poker play:
1. The dealer deals each player 2 down cards.
2. 1st round of betting.
3. The dealer burns a card and deals the flop.
4. 2nd round of betting.
5. Another card is burned and a fourth community card the
turn
is dealt.
6. 3rd round of betting.
7. A last card is burned and the final community card or
river
is dealt.
8. The last round of betting.
9. All remaining players participate in a showdown.
Each player makes his or her best 5-card poker hand. The
10. The person who initiated the last round of betting shows
his/her cards first.
Texas Hold’em 5 card hands may contain any combination
of the following:
A. Both of the player’s hole
card along with any three cards from the community board.
B. One of the player’s hole
card along with any four cards from the community board.
C. None of the player’s hole
card and all five cards from the community board
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General Poker Rules
In poker, each card is given a specific ranking. This ranking
is as follows: Ace (the highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (the lowest). However, Ace, contrary
to the rest of the cards, may alter its features and become
the lowest card, depending on the patterns used. In standard
poker, there are usually 52 cards, but when playing some
variation of poker, wild cards such as joker may sometimes
be added fluctuating the total of cards.
There are four suits in poker (spades, hearts, diamonds
and clubs). No suit is higher than another. All poker hands
contain five cards, the highest hand wins.
The use of Wild Cards depends on the poker card game played
and on the variations; wild cards take on whatever rank
or suit you want it to take. A wild card can either be a
separate card added like a joker or you may specify a certain
card in the standard deck to be wild.
The number of cards dealt is dependent on what type of
poker card game you are playing: 5-card stud, you are dealt
five cards and 7-card stud, you are dealt seven. Five-card
draw is the standard poker card game where 5 cards are dealt
to each player face down.
General Poker Rules (cont'd)
1. If the first hole
card dealt is exposed to all players, the dealer must
reshuffle and deal again.
2. If any other hole card is revealed during the initial
deal, that card will be taken by the dealer and replaced
with an unseen card. The revealed card will then become
the burn
card for the flop.
3. Each player is responsible for protecting his or her
hole
card. They must either put a marker on top of them or
make it clear somehow that they are still in play. If a
situation arises in which a player’s hole
card is not marked and the dealer takes them, that player
is out of the hand.
4. If any sort of error occurs in the dealing of the flop,
it must immediately be reshuffled and re-dealt.
5. Whenever a dealer turns a board
card before a betting round is finished, it must be
removed from play for that round.
6. When a player reveals their hole
card, they must not allow them to touch any of the board
cards. If the cards become mixed with the board
card (even if it is possible to distinguish and remove
them), the player’s hand is forfeited.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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Hand
Rankings
The hands ranked from highest to lowest are as follows:
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush,
Straight, 3-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.
If two or more hands are of the same ranking, the winner
is the one having the higher images/cards. For example,
a Flush with an Ace high beats a Flush with a King high.
If the hands are still tied, then it is the highest card
not being held in common (the kicker)
that determines the winner.
In the event of hands being absolutely identical in ranking,
the pot will be split evenly between the two or more winning
players. If there is an odd chip, the winning player to
the left of the button/dealer will receive it
Click on Image for
Poker Hand Rankings!
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