Texas Holdem

The player first to deal is decided. A dealer button is placed in front of the dealer. After each completed hand the button is past clockwise to the next player who then becomes the dealer. The dealer gives two cards face down to each player. These are called pocket cards. The cards should be kept private at all times.

• The first round of betting takes place.
• After the first round of betting three community cards are dealt face up on the table for all players to use. This is called the flop.
• A second round of betting takes place.
• After the second round of betting a forth community is dealt face up on the table for all players to use. This is called the turn.
• A third round of betting takes place.
• After the third round of betting a fifth community card is dealt face up on the table for all players to use. This is called the river.
• A forth and final round of betting takes place.

Showdown

Each player can use the best five community cards and their two pocket cards to make up a hand. The players who are still in the game who haven’t folded show their hands. The best hand wins the pot. If the community cards show a better hand than the remaining players, then the pot is split.

Betting

Betting is always done in clockwise order. The two people sat to the left of the dealer must place blind bets to start the betting. The person next to the dealer bets the small blind and the player next to the small blind bets the big blind. All blind bets are pre determined prior to the start of the game.

The first person to act is the player sat next to the player who is the big blind. They can chose to bet, fold their cards or check (pass the opportunity on to the next player). All bets are placed in the middle of the table. This is called the pot. After the initial bet, the rest of the players in turn have the same choices. They can fold or call (match the bet from the previous player), or raise (call and raise a further bet). A round of betting is completed when all remaining players have acted at least once or bet the same amount to the pot. There can be no more than three raises per round of betting. After three raises that round of betting ends.

In a round of betting the player must check or call at least once before raising their bet.

There are limit and no limit games in Texas Holdem.

A limit game is pre determined prior to the start of the game. Throughout the game the players can only bet the small and big blinds. The small blind being the initial bet, the big blind being the raise. For example the small blind is £5 and the big blind is double the small blind, which is a call and raise of $10.

No limit Texas Holdem is slightly different. Players still use the small and big blinds but any amount can be used to call and raise. This is entirely up to the player.

Poker Hands

• High card
• One pair
• Two pairs
• 3 of a kind
• Straight (5 consecutive cards of any suite)
• Flush (5 cards of the same suite)
• Full House (3 of a kind and one pair)
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush (5 consecutive cards of the same suite)