Texas Hold’em isn’t just any card game. It ranks king among poker games. It has cleaned out all other competition among card players across the globe. It is a game played in casinos, on television, Online, in basements, garages and kitchens, and everywhere a table can be found with room enough for a few players, some poker chips and a couple decks of cards.



Everyone is learning how to play this exciting game: young people, older people, men, women, professionals, non-professionals and more. It is a way to have fun or make a little or a lot of money.









Here’s how:



The game is most commonly played with 2 to 10 players, although it can be played with as many as 22. Like with most poker games, the object is to win the pots, the amount of chips and/or money the players have bet in a hand. This can be accomplished in two ways. Either a player beats the others by having the best five-card poker hand at the end of a showdown, or a player causes the other plays to fold and abandon the pot through aggressive betting and bluffing techniques.



At the beginning of a hand, the two players to the left of the dealer are required to the pay the blinds - two forced bets made in games that have a flop. In Texas Hold’em, there is normally a small blind and a big blind with pre-determined amounts. These blinds increase as the game moves forward, typically after set periods of time or after a certain number of hands.



In Texas Hold’em, a dealer button - a certain designated chip - is placed in front of the dealer to keep track of the blinds and the dealing schedule. This button rotates clockwise around the table, moving after each hand and changing who has to pay the small and big blinds.



The small blind is posted by the person directly to the left of the dealer and is usually equal to half of the big blind. The big blind is posted by the person to the left of the small blind and is normally equal to the minimum bet at first and then increases along with the minimum bet over the course of play.



Play begins when each player is dealt two cards face down. The cards are called pocket cards and are only revealed in some cases by the players in the showdown. The hand begins with blinds, as well as a pre-flop betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind and continuing clockwise.



Then, assuming not all players have folded and at least two remain in the hand, the dealer places the flop on the table. The flop is made up of three face-up community cards that allow each player to form a five-card poker hand and is followed by a second betting round that begins with the player to the left of the dealer. A single community card, called the turn, is then placed on the table by the dealer and another betting round ensues.



Then, the final community card, called the river, is dealt, followed by another betting round and a showdown, if necessary. If at any time during the hand only one player remains, they collect the pot. However, if two or more players remain when betting ends, the players must compare hands to see who wins.

By: Cyman Harrison

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Cyman Harrison is the creator of PokerTipsandStrategies.com. This website offers FREE Texas Hold'em Poker eBooks, strategies, techniques and secrets that will help you increase your bankroll, improve your chances of winning and literally force you to stop losing. Learn more now at www.PokerTipsandStrategies.com.