As well as being one of the easiest card games to learn for beginners, Poker is also extremely strategic, thrilling and rewarding.
Furthermore, knowing how to play Texas Hold’em Poker enables you to break international barriers; it’s a game that is played all around the world in a range of cultures, from high-end Las Vegas casinos to the streets and living rooms of everyday people.
Most excitingly, Texas Hold’em Poker is a chance to win big money. If this sounds good to you, here’s how you play:
The goal: Win as many chips as you can.
Players: 2-10 players around a table
Personal Cards: Each player is given two cards face down.
Five Central Cards: The dealer places five cards in the middle of table.
The way to win: Each player must use their two personal cards to produce the best five-card hand (according to the hands below) by combining their personal cards with some of the five central cards.
Betting: There are four rounds of betting in poker; the pre-flop, followed by three mid-game betting rounds. The winner at the end takes the total chips placed in the middle by all players.
Here are the hierarchy of poker hands:
- Royal Flush (All same suit- Ace, King-Queen-Jack-Ten)
- Straight Flush (Any sequence all same suit, for instance 9-8-7-6-5)
- Four of a Kind (Four cards that are same value, for instance Ace-Ace-Ace-Ace)
- Full House (Three of a kind and a pair)
- Flush (All same suit)
- Straight (A sequence such as 6-5-4-3-2)
- Three of a kind (Three cards that are same value such as 3-3-3)
- Two-pair (Two pairs, such as 8-8 AND 5-5)
- Pair (Any pair whether it’s Ace-Ace or 10-10)
- High Card (Whatever your highest card is)
When each player receives their personal cards, they make a bet. They have the option to ‘fold’ – to bow out of the round – or to place a bet that matches or surpasses the bet made before them. This is the pre-flop betting round.
Then, three of the five central cards are dealt, and another betting round ensues. People can continue to raise the amount or fold their hand. This happens until all five central cards are dealt. Where two final rounds of betting are made. If there are a number of players remaining at the end, they reveal their hands and the best one wins the pot.
This concludes one round of poker – these rounds continue until players are eliminated (they lose all of their betting chips), and one remains as winner.
By learning the rules of Texas Hold’em Poker, you are equipping yourself with a skill that will enable friendship-building, thrill-seeking, psychology and money-making. It’s a game that defies culture and language, enabling you to bond with people you could not have dreamed of bonding with before.
So, what are you waiting for? Get practicing that poker face.
For those looking to get involved with casino online or gambling, there is no game more renowned than Texas Hold ‘Em Poker.
Story by Alex Gunter
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