Texas Holdem Rules

When it comes to picking the King of poker, Texas Holdem reigns supreme with the age old adage of it being a game that takes a second to learn and a lifetime to master attracting millions of players the world over.

The rules are very simple but keep players engaged for hours (and days!) on end while opponents make bets based on how they think their opponents cards differ from their own.

Each poker table usually consists of around eight to ten players with action revolving around the table in a clockwise fashion. At the start of a game a dealer is nominated and after each hand, the role of dealer is passed clockwise. It is up to the dealer to give each player two "hole cards" which are dealt face down and then reveal the five community cards face up in the middle of the table.

These community cards can be used by all of the players (in conjunction with their own personal cards) to make the best five card poker hand possible.

Blinds

In order to ensure that there is always some money in the pot, Texas Holdem requires the two players to the left of the dealer to put a "small blind" and a "big blind" into the middle of the table before any cards are dealt.

As the role of "Dealer" is rotated around the table, so everyone will be asked to play the role of small blind and big blind an equal number of times.

The size of the each blind is determined by the stakes you're playing for at the table. The Small Blind is generally half of the minimum bet with the Big Blind being equal to one bet. Therefore if you were playing in a $2/$4 ring game, the blind would be $1 and the big blind would be $2.

Dealing Preflop

Once the blinds have been paid, each player is dealt two cards face down on the table. These cards are handed out one a time, with a players second card only being dealt after all players have received one card.

A round of betting then follows with the player to the left of the big blind being asked to act first. To stay in the hand, he needs to match (or "call") the size of the big blind. He can also "raise" the size of the bet or he can "fold" his hand by throwing away his cards - an action that won't cost him any chips.

Betting then rotates around the table in a clockwise manner until every player has had the opportunity to check, raise or fold. If any player raises though, all players must match that bet or fold before action can continue.

When it comes to the small and big blinds, the chips they've already put into the table count towards any bet that they need to make. Therefore, if no raise has been made, the big blind can simply "check" in order to stay in the hand seeing seeing as (s)he has already put in the required chips (before the cards were dealt).

The Flop

Once the first round of betting has been settled, the dealer is asked to deal three cards up in the middle of the table. These three cards are know as "The Flop" and trigger a second round of betting with the player to the left of the dealer being the first to act this time.

The Turn

All bets in the second round of betting must be matched before a fourth community card (known as The Turn) is dealt face up in the middle of the table. A third round of betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the dealer.

The River

A fifth and final community card is placed face up in the middle of the table. Players can now see all of the cards that they're going to. A final round of betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the dealer.

If more than one player still left in the action after this final round of betting, both players proceed to the Showdown. Otherwise, the one player remaining may pick up all of the chips in the middle of the table without showing his hand.

The Showdown

Once all of the final bets have been made, those players still in the hand must turn over their hole cards. The player with the best five card poker hand (using any number of community cards and hole cards) is declared the winner and given the pot.