Drew Jackson - How to Play Texas Holdem Poker: An Essential Guide to Texas Holdem Poker Rules, Hands, and Strategy

Before we get into a discussion on betting limits and strategythe game within the gameof Texas Holdem poker, lets take a look at the basic elements of play. The customs discussed in this chapter will be recognized in most any venue or betting framework.

The Blinds and the Deal

Two or more players sit at a table. If the game is taking place at a casino, then theres usually a professional dealer who deals every hand. If the game is taking place outside of a casino, then the players will take turns dealing. Whoever is dealing will place a markerknown as a dealer button or buckin front of him. The dealer deals out one card at a time facedown to each player, beginning with the player to his left and continuing clockwise until all players have two cards. These two cards are known as hole cards.

Even if the game is taking place at a casino, the dealer button is still used by the players even though the players arent dealing out the cards. The reason for this is that the location of the dealer button determines two important starting strategic positions. The person with the dealer button is known as being on the button. Whoever is sitting immediately to the left of the dealer button is in the small blind position, which means that this person is forced to bet before any of the cards are dealt. In other words shes betting blind. The small blind bet is one half the minimum allowable bet.

Tables usually have a fixed minimum betting amount, for example: $5. If the minimum allowable bet for the table is $5, then the small blind would begin the hand with $2.50 already at risk. To the left of the small blind position is the big blind position. This player begins the hand with a full minimum bet already in play. So, following through with our $5 minimum table, the small blind player would have $2.50 at risk at the beginning of the hand, and the big blind player would have $5 at risk. Both the small and big blind bets should be on the table before the hole cards are dealt.

In Texas Holdem, players place their betting chips in the designated betting space immediately in front of their cards. Everyones bets are kept separate until the hand concludes. At that point, the betting chips are combined and the winner of the hand takes them all. If theres a tie for the best hand, then the chips are split evenly or split three ways in the event of a three-way tie etc.

The First Round of Betting

After the blind bets are on the table and every player has been dealt their two face down hole cards, the players privately look at their cards, and the first round of betting begins. The first player to bet is the player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind position. He may choose either to bet or, if he feels that his two starting cards are too weak, he may fold. Since he has no blinds on the table he loses no money by folding. If he chooses to bet, then he must bet at least the minimum amount, which is the amount of the big blind. This first round betting continues clockwise around the table with each player deciding whether to fold or to bet.

If a player wants to bet more than the minimum amount, he can do this, but he may be subject to the betting limits imposed at the table. Have you ever heard of No Limit Holdem? All that is meant by the No Limit moniker is that players are free to bet as much as they want to bet. Other games are played with a Pot Limit which means that a player may not bet any more than the value of the current pot. In other words the highest legal bet allowed would double the pot. The pot simply refers to the total value of all bets placed in a current hand. The least popular betting structure for Texas Holdem is known as Fixed Limit. In Fixed Limit the player simply chooses whether to bet or not bet. The amount being bet is fixed at a certain amount.

When betting reaches the small blind position, the small blind player may either fold and give up the small blind hes already committed to the hand, or he may call the current bet, meaning he commits to at least betting the big blind amount. So lets say for instance that were at a table of seven people. Three have folded and two have bet the minimum amount of $5. The small blind already has $2.50 in the pot. If she wants to continue she needs only commit another $2.50 to stay in the hand.