Texas Holdem Poker Guide

In Texas hold'em, as in any other type of poker, the idea is to finish the game with the highest hand and win the pot of chips.

Your hand is made up of 5 cards from the following two places; the hole cards, those you are dealt face down, and any of the community cards, those which are dealt face up on to the table.

Know and understand these terms:

• Bet: place a bet using your chips. The value of the chips should be decided before the game, so as to limit confusion!
• Blinds: bets placed by the two players on the left of the dealer before the cards are dealt.
• Fold: you don't like your cards and don't want to bluff - you will take no further part in the game.
• Check: stay in the game but do not add a bet.
• Call: match previous peoples' bet(s)
• Raise: to bet more after someone has already bet - everybody else must call your bet to stay in the game - or they must fold.

Before the cards are dealt

In Texas hold'em each player takes his turn to deal. The two players to the left of the dealer put in forced bets, called "blinds". The player directly to the dealer's left must put in the "small blind" and the player to their left must put in the "big blind", which should be twice the size of the small blind.

Dealing the cards

The dealer deals one card face down to each player in turn, starting with the player to his or her right. A second card is then dealt to each player, again face down. The cards in your hands are known as the "hole cards".

The cards are on the table

Once the cards have been dealt there are four distinct parts to the poker game of Texas hold’em. These are known as; Hole Cards, The Flop, The Turn and The River, respectively.

The game is structured as follows:

1. Hole Cards. After the blinds have been put out, each player is dealt two hole cards, face down.
   A round of bets then ensues, each player, starting with the player to the left of the big blind, has the opportunity to make a bet. You don't have to place a bet at this time, you can choose to fold and throw your cards away, removing you from play. Your second option is to call the size of any bet already posted. Your third option can be to raise, which means you must put out at least two times the size of any bets already posted. A final option if you are in the big blind and there have been no raises in front of you is to simply check and see the flop for free.
2. The Flop. Three cards are then dealt face up on the table.
   A round of betting then ensues which is very similar to the first round of betting, except that now the player directly to the dealer's left is always the first player to act and they can choose whether to check (pass) or make a bet.
3. The Turn. A fourth card is dealt to the table.
4. The River. Finally, a fifth card is dealt to the table.
5. Final round of bets

Who wins in Hold'em?

The five cards on the table are community cards. Your hand is formed by taking the best poker hand you can by using any five out of the seven cards (five community + two hole cards). Remember, all the players have access to the community cards whereas you are the only person who can use your hole cards.