Free Poker Tips

Often known merely as Hold’em, this is presently the most popular poker game in the world, and is used in the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. It’s usually played with up to 10 players and a dealer who normally does not take part in the game, however in casual games, dealing will move from player to player.

Before the poker hands are dealt, the first player on the dealer’s left antes one half of the minimum bet (known as the ‘first’ or ’small’ blind), with the player to his left anteing the minimum bet (the ’second’ or ‘large’ blind). ‘Posting the blinds’ proceeds clockwise around the table with every subsequent game, ensuring there is always some money in the pot.

Each player is then dealt two down (hole) cards known only to them, which in turn forms the basis for their hands. Betting starts with the player to the left of the players who posted the blinds. The betting takes place as in a regular game of poker, with players having the option of seeing, raising or folding.

Once this round of betting is concluded, the dealer discards the top card from the remainder of the deck (called ‘burning the card’) and deals three cards face up on the table. These cards are known as the flop, and are community cards that can be used by all the players to help them create the best possible five-card poker hand. A second round of betting then begins, once again with players seeing, raising or folding.

The dealer then burns another card and deals an additional card face up alongside the other community cards. This card is called ‘Fourth Street’ or the ‘turn’. Once again, there’s an additional round of betting. The dealer then burns one last card, and deals the last face-up community card, known as ‘Fifth Street’ or the ‘river’.

After all the community cards have been dealt, players will use any combination of their own two face-down cards as well as the five community cards to form the best possible five-card poker hand.

The last round of betting starts, and then all players who’ve remained in the game uncover their hands. As in standard poker, the player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. If any player chooses the five community cards as their best hand, this is known as ‘playing the board’, and will generally result in a split pot.

If you think that these rules sound complicated, please don’t worry! Texas Hold’em is actually one of the easier card games to understand the rules to, and inside of a few games you will be in a position to remember exactly what to do.