Rules of Texas Hold’em

Poker is booming and many gambling establishments now allow users to play different types of poker. However, Texas Hold’em is widely considered to be the most popular. The essence of the game is very simple, each player gets to hands 2 cards, which are called pocket cards. After this, the dealer lays out in the centre of another 5 cards in succession and the player needs to form the maximum combination of just 5 cards. At the same time, each round is accompanied by bidding with the possibility of raising the bet.

That is, in the end there will be 4 rounds of bidding:

1. Preflop.
2. Flop.
3. turn.
4. River.

Interesting to know! Experienced players say that the rules of the game can be learned in just a couple of hours, while learning to play really well can take a lifetime.

During play, poker players compete for the total pot accumulated during a hand. It’s important to monitor the hand and consider hand strength so you know when to raise or call, check, or fold.

The completion of a hand can be different, for example, if 2 or more players have reached showdown, i.e. passed all phases of the game. In this case the players show their pocket cards and compare hands. The poker player with the highest hand gets the pot.

Another method of ending a hand is when all but one player has folded. Then the remaining poker player gets the pot and there is no need to show his hand.

Blinds

The rules of the game are MB and BB, which are mandatory bets, placed by the two players prior to the start of the hand. On top of that there might be an ante, which is a mandatory bet, placed by each player in the pot. And there’s a dealer’s button, which tells the hand in play, it shifts clockwise, and each cut the next 2 poker players bet MB and BB.

Bets

In no-limit Texas Hold’em, players can Bet or Fold, irrespective of Chips count. You can go all-in and bet all of your chips. This is known in the game as an all-in.

After the hand is dealt, the player is dealt 2 cards, called pocket cards. Only the player sees them and can decide if he wants to fold or go.

Game and bidding

The first round of dealing is the re-flop. And it lasts until all players have bet.

The blinds are already part of the player’s bet, and if the poker player wants to, he can raise or call the bet. After this round comes the flop, when 3 cards appear on the table face down.

And on the flop comes the next round of betting. The player to the left of the dealer starts the bet. The move is clockwise. 

After him comes the turn, when a 4 card is placed in the open in the centre. This is followed by another round of bidding. The final card is the last card – the river – and the final bidding round. This is where players compare their combinations, where the minimum can be a kicker, i.e. the highest card, and the maximum can be a Royal Flush, which is the highest cards of the same suit going in sequence.

The rules are actually quite simple, but it’s important to learn all the combinations so that you understand what comes next.