Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em is the most popular and well known variant of all poker games. It is also the most played poker game that you will find in online poker rooms. It's definitely a hype that you can't miss! The rules are easy to learn, and the more frequently you will play, the better you will understand what it takes to become a profitable poker player.

In Texas Hold'em, each player receives 2 pocket cards. The game will continue with a total amount of five community cards faced up. First three, which are called the "flop", then one after the other, respectively called the "turn" and the "river". A round is played between each deal where the poker players can bet, call / raise, or fold.

Texas Hold'em is played with two blinds, the small blind, and the big blind. A blind is a forced bet before the pocket cards are received to open, or partially open the first round of betting. The first two players after the dealer pay the blinds. The small blind is posted by the first poker player, and the big blind by the second player. The dealer, or the so called "button" will rotate to the left after each game is played. The purpose of the blinds is to get the pot started and keep the game going. Everybody will sit on the blinds, and pay the forced bet. Blinds will raise after a determined period of time passes by. When playing online, generally this will be about 10 minutes per level.

In heads-up games, the player seated directly after the button pays for the big blind. The first two betting rounds are played with the lower limit while the last two rounds of betting are played with the higher limit.

In Texas Hold'em, the player that creates the best poker hand will win the pot. This hand can be any combination of the two pocket cards, together with the five community cards (whole cards). So, it may very well be that the best hand lays on the table, and that everybody who's left in the game will split the pot equally.

Basically a round of Texas Hold'em poker looks like this:

1. Blinds are payed by the two players left to the button,
2. Each player receives a card by turn, until everyone holds two pocket cards,
3. Betting round 1 takes place,
4. The flop is dealt, these are the first three community cards,
5. Betting round 2 takes place,
6. The turn is dealt, this is the fourth community card,
7. Betting round 3 takes place,
8. The river is dealt, this is the fifth community card,
9. Betting round 4 takes place, which is also the last round.
10. The showdown, which determines the winner(s).