Chronicle Books - Texas Hold Em: The Little Black Book of Poker

T he rules of this fast-paced, popular, and most commonly played poker game are not complicated. But you do have to play the game often in order to be able to apply what youve learned automatically, and therefore respond and act quickly during the game. Texas Hold Em is also the poker variation with the lowest limits, making it especially fun for beginners.

Texas Hold Em is played with between two and ten players, using a 52-card deck, i.e., a regular deck of playing cards without the jokers.

As with all poker games, the goal is to try to get the highest possible combination of up to five cards. The player with the highest combination, i.e., the best hand, wins in theory. In practice, however, this is not always the case, as you will learn in this handbook.

That is what makes Texas Hold Em so exciting. A hand consists of a combination of the seven cards dealt. Each player is dealt two cards facedown. The other five cards are called Community Cards and are dealt faceup on the table, or in poker jargon, On Board. These five cards are dealt in three phases.

But first, a note on the language of poker. Poker players all around the world use the same language, which is full of colorful terms and definitions. This jargon is an essential element of the game; therefore we use it extensively in this book. An explanation of the terms can be found in the last chapter, Poker Jargon (see page 151). Use it as often as you need.

It is important to know the ranking of the different cards. From highest to lowest:

Ace

King

Queen

Jack

10 to 2

The Ace can also be used as a 1 to make a Low Straight or a Straight Flush with Ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Poker is all about combinations. If more than one player has the same combination, the one with the highest card value is the winner. The combinations from high to low:

ROYAL FLUSH: A combination of the five highest consecutive cards of the same suit (Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, or Clubs). A Royal Flush therefore consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10.

STRAIGHT FLUSH: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, but with a lower rank; for example, a King, Queen, Jack, 10, and 9.

FOUR OF A KIND: Four cards of the same rank. This hand is also called Quads. The highest possible combination is four Aces.

FULL HOUSE: Three cards of the same rank plus a pair, such as three 7s and two 4s. With this hand, the rank order is essential. A Full House is also called a Boat.

FLUSH: Five random cards of the same suit. If more than one player has a Flush, the player with the highest card wins.

STRAIGHT: A combination of five consecutive cards, but of different suits.

THREE OF A KIND: Three cards of the same rank. The highest Three of a Kind contains three Aces. This combination is also called Trips.

TWO PAIRS: Two pairs of the same cards, such as two Kings and two 9s. Important: this combination has a higher value than two Queens and two Jacks, as it is only the rank of the highest card that determines the winner.

ONE PAIR: A single pair of the same rank. The highest pair would be two Aces and the lowest two 2s.

HIGH CARD: The winning card if none of the players are able to put together a winning combination. In such a case, the player with the highest card wins. If more than one player has the same high card, the higher of the second or even third card determines the winning hand.

The value of the hands is determined by the rank of the card(s). If more than one player has the same hand, the hand with the highest rank wins. A Three of a Kind with three Aces is therefore higher than one with three Kings.

Even the value of the cards that are not part of a combination is important. If two players each have a pair of two Aces, the highest of the remaining three cards, called the Kicker or Side Card, determines who has the highest combination or best hand and therefore wins.

B efore you start, you need to determine who deals first. You do this by having all players draw a card, after agreeing on whether the highest or the lowest card will win. After every round or hand, the player to the left of the dealer becomes the new dealer. This ensures that everyone has a chance to be dealer. The dealer is often indicated by a Dealer Button or a Buck, which is passed on after every hand is played.

A minimum and maximum betting limit is also determined before the game begins. In professional poker, the organizers determine the limit, unless they are playing a No Limit game. These types of games involve an official dealer.

Before any cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer must place Blind Bets of a predetermined number of chips. In other words, this is done before they have even seen their two cards. The Blind Bets make sure that there is money in the pot during every hand. Since, after every hand, the dealer moves to a new position, the two players who must make the Blind Bets also change. Every player has to do this at some point.

There are two different kinds of Blinds: a Big Blind and a Small Blind. The first player next to the dealer places the Small Blind, which is equal to half the minimum bet. The next player places a Big Blind bet, which is the minimum bet.