Texas Hold'em Poker

Texas Hold'em or simply, "Hold'em" is the most admired poker game in the cardrooms all over the world. Each player is dealt two different cards called the"hole cards". Five community cards are also dealt face-up on the "board". Using the community cards in combination with their own hole cards players have to make the best five-card poker hand possible.

For the dealer button there is a disc that indicates the player dealing for the current game. Before the game starts, the player just clockwise from the button announces the "small blind", normally half a small bet for instance, $1 in a $2/$4 game. The player immediately left to the small blind posts the "big blind", that normally is a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). Now, every player receives their two hole cards. Betting action ensues around the table, opening with the player immediately clockwise to the big blind.

Players may now check, call the big blind, fold, or raise. In Limit games, the raise is restricted to one small bet. In Pot Limit, the highest raise is the pot (the amount now in the pot, plus the call). However, in No Limit the utmost raise can be any number of chips.

The "flop” or the first three community cards are then dealt face-up on the board. Betting begins as usual with the active player immediately clockwise the button. Again, in Limit games, all bets and raises currently occur in small bets - increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game, for instance.

Betting action for flop is followed by the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is basically the fourth community card. Again betting starts with the active player immediately left to the button. However, in this round in Limit games, betting is twofold the small bet to the big bet. Example: In a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn occurs in $4 increments.

Subsequently the fifth and final community card "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The It is followed by betting with the active player immediately clockwise the dealer button.

If there happens to be more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his cards.. The player having the best five-card hand wins the pot. In the event of matching hands, the pot is split between the players with the best hands.