How To Play Texas Hold'em Poker
As one of the most popular variations of the classic card game poker, it is certainly daunting for beginners to try and understand the oftentimes minute differences in rules between Texas Hold’em poker versus its traditional counterpart. But that doesn’t mean you should skip it entirely either, as, you’ll soon find out when you frequent many live casinos that this variation of poker is played almost everywhere alongside casino staples like blackjack. Of course, Texas Hold’em is a popular game in online live casinos in Singapore too.
And if you don’t know anything about Texas Hold’em but want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place as this article aims to offer a comprehensive guide for players of any level. With that being said, if you’re reading up till this point, we’re going to assume that you at least already know the basics of poker. If you don’t know anything about poker, then we’d suggest that you also read up on a poker guide so that you can decide which one is better for your own play style.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s begin!
What is Texas Hold'em Poker & Why is it Called That?
First things first, the Hold’em part of the name of this game comes from the rule that has you “holding” your initial cards throughout the round and you cannot add to this hand by drawing any more cards. The Texas portion of the name is because Texas Hold’em poker was invented in, well, Texas during the 1920s.
Secondly, we cannot emphasise enough how popular this variation of poker is. In fact, most marquee tournaments, like the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and the European Poker Tour, all feature the no-limit variation of Texas Hold’em poker. Furthermore, it is one of the only games that has potentially exceeded the original in terms of popularity — so much so that it is probably the only poker rule that many players will ever learn!
You may be wondering why Texas Hold’em poker is so popular. It’s actually quite simple, as simple as the simplicity of the rules, gameplay, and hand-rankings that it brings. Though, you shouldn’t let this simplistic gameplay mislead you into thinking Texas Hold’em is just that. There is a depth of skill that you’ll need to learn in order to master this game. The number of possibilities in the game is so vast that games at the highest levels of Texas Hold’em can become quite complex.
However, you don’t have to worry about that for now. If you’re approaching Texas Hold’em poker for the first time, the basics are always going to be key to a good start in your poker-playing career.
What is Texas Hold'em Poker & Why is it Called That?
The gist of the game is not too difficult to grasp: Players aim to make the strongest five-card hand possible by using a combination of “hole” cards with the five community cards that are dealt in stages on the table.
The “hole” or “pocket’ cards refer to the initial two cards that are dealt face-down to each player. The five community cards are then dealt in three stages: the flop (the first three community cards), the turn (the fourth community card), and the river (the fifth and final community card).
After each of these stages, there will be a round of betting where players can check or raise their hands.
Now that we’ve gone through the basic terminologies that you should know, let’s go over the flow of how a common game of Texas Hold’em can go. It should also be noted that these rules apply to both online and live casino settings.
- Each player at the table is dealt the two face-down “hole” cards and they are given the chance to place their bets based on the (potential) strength of their hand.
- Once the initial betting phase has been completed, the dealer will deal the first three community cards onto the table at the flop stage. Players will then decide to check (not bet) or raise their bets after this stage.
- The fourth community card is dealt during the turn and another round of betting occurs.
- At the final stage AKA the river, the last community card is revealed and yet another round of betting occurs.
- Once all bets have been placed, the players that are still remaining in the game must reveal their hands. The winner who will take home the pot will be decided based on the strength of their five-card hands.
Here are more additional notes:
- You may form a winning hand by using both “hole” cards plus three community cards or one “hole” card in combination with four community cards or even no “hole” cards at all.
- After the betting stage, if only one player remains then he/she will win the pot without having to reveal their hand.
- This is also why players don’t always need the best hand to win the pot. It’s all about creating a strong image to bluff to get the other players to fold.
Now that you know the basics of Texas Hold’em poker, you’re ready to move on to the next step of learning how to play
The Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker
The rankings of the card combinations in Texas Hold’em do not differ too much from other poker variations, as you’ll see below.
- Royal Flush: This is the highest possible hand that you can get in poker and is formed when you get A, K, Q, J, and 10 of the same suit.
- Straight Flush: This hand is formed when you get five cards in sequence in the same suit. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of hearts and 7, 8, 9, 10, and J of diamonds are two instances of a straight flush.
- Four-of-a-Kind: This hand is pretty self-explanatory which is having four cards of the same rank in your hand. Basic card rankings apply here. For example, a hand with four Ks beats one with four 5s.
- Full House: This hand comprises a three-of-a-kind plus a pair. For instance, three Qs and two Ks form a Full House. In case of a tie, the hand with the highest-ranking three-of-a-kind is the winner.
- Flush: You get a flush when your hand has five non-consecutive cards of the same suit. In ties, the player with the highest-ranked cards wins.
- Straight: When you get five consecutive cards (e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) that are not in the same suit, that is a Straight hand. The usual card ranking rules also apply here when there are ties.
- Three-of-a-Kind: Similar to the four-a-kind hand but you only need three cards of the same rank to pull off this hand.
- Two Pair: This hand comprise two pairs (same value) of cards and another odd card.
- One Pair: This hand has two cards that have the same value i.e. two Ks or two Js plus three random cards that do not match. This is one of the most common hands in poker.
- High Card: If there are no other hand rankings at play, then the player with the highest-valued card will win the round. In the event of a tie, the second-highest card will be used to break the tie, followed by the third, then the fourth, and so on.
Now that you know the hand rankings, the next step is to learn about poker and betting strategies. You can find out more online, from books, or by attending live tournaments to get invaluable experience. With practice, you’ll soon be ready to play online poker in any of the real-life or online casinos in Singapore!
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