Learning Texas Holdem Poker
CoolCat Casino Game Guides Learning Texas Holdem Poker. Free online casino games can really spice up life. Here I was playing regular Poker for years, often bored by the predictability of my evenings. A chance visit to Dallas introduced me to Texas Hold’em Poker, a community card game where players get to bet four times. Poker Strategy Guide: Tactics & Theory of Texas Hold'em - PokerStrategy.com Learn profitable Texas Hold'em strategy and understand the theory behind winning poker play with strategy articles, columns, quizzes and hand discussions. More educational offers can be found on our poker practice page. To be a truly great Texas Hold 'Em Poker player, you need to be able to read your opponents, ascertaining when they are bluffing and when they really have a solid hand. But learning some basic strategies and general rules will go a long way toward making sure you can at least hold your own in a friendly game.
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The game of Texas Hold’em is by far the premiere poker game in the world today, and millions of players worldwide play it online for fun, excitement, and the thrill of competition. If you’ve already read our guide on (link for learning poker rules fast), then we’re ready to talk about some basic strategy and ways to maximize your profits once you sit down at the table. We will also cover the difference between normal betting and tournament play, because each of these Texas Hold’em games have very distinct differences when it comes to placing wagers.
The Opposition
In the remake of the movie “Maverick” starring Mel Gibson, Brett Maverick walks into a saloon and asks to join a table of rowdy looking players. The locals decline his request at first, but then he makes them an offer by saying that he will lose each and every hand for the first hour of play, regardless of how good or bad his cards are. With that said they invite Brett to sit down, and during the first sixty minutes he continuously folds while watching the other players to learn their obvious tells, betting strategies and weaknesses in general. Once he finally starts to bet, the other players quickly realize what they thought was a handicap actually turned out to be a great benefit for Maverick.
When playing Texas Hold’em online, it is important that you be a heck of a lot like the fictional character Brett Maverick. From the very first hand, your main goal at any table is to study the betting habits of those around you and to keep notes on how they interpret each hand. For example, if a player is seen raising frequently, then that’s the person you’ll likely be making the most money off of because he does not wait for hands to develop before betting them. The players who often fold to any kind of raise are at the other end of the spectrum, because even if your hand isn’t the guaranteed winner there’s a good chance that you can force them out early if necessary. Likewise, if a player that normally folds suddenly places a huge bet, there it is important to re-evaluate the strength of your hand to be sure that you should still be betting. Recognizing how each competitor plays their hands will help determine how you should approach each betting round, and this is a ridiculously huge advantage if carried out consistently.
Learning Texas Holdem Poker
Reading the Cards
In every betting round, the primary goal is to determine the ultimate hand from the cards provided. If the flop shows A/K/7 of hearts, for example, the very best possible hand would be a flush with the queen of hearts as a hole card. If another king were to come on the turn, then the highest possible hand would be a full house, kings over aces. If the ten of hearts flopped on the river, then you have to worry about someone having a royal flush. The best possible hand changed after each new card was revealed, and this is an important fact to remember.
Reading the cards is important for two reasons. The first and most obvious point is to determine how each hand should be bet. If the flop showed K/7/3 of three different suits and your hole cards gave you top pair or three of a kind, there is an excellent chance of winning the hand and it should be bet aggressively. In this situation trip kings would be the ultimate hand, so if another player re-raises it would be a good time to consider your opposition and their betting habits to determine how likely it is that your hand is better than theirs. The most common mistake made at any poker table is not seeing the full possibilities of the flop, and betting big just because you have that pair of kings is not always a sound strategy.
Differences in Tournament and Open Play
Learn Texas Holdem Poker Odds
When you’re sitting at an open table, the goal is always to win as much money as possible. This can be accomplished in several different fashions; betting aggressive to force others to fold, folding often and waiting for a big hand, waiting to trap aggressive players, or a steady combination of all three strategies. In tournament play, the goal is exactly the opposite. While it is important to capitalize on any top hands, the ultimate goal is to avoid losing so that you remain in the tournament. The table you’re at will ultimately determine your betting style in either situation, but it is important to remember why you’re playing in the first place and adjust your betting habits to give you the greatest chances of victory.
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Master the rules of Texas Holdem in minutes and learn how to play this extremely popular poker game.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 15 Minutes
What You Need:
- 52-Card Deck
- 2-20 Players
- Money or Chips
Here's How:
- The two players to the left of the dealer put out blind bets. The player directly to the dealer's left puts out the small blind, while the player two to the dealer's left puts out the big blind, which is twice as much as the small blind.
Don't know what blinds are? Read more about Betting Basics - Every player is dealt two cards, face down. These are called hole cards or pocket cards.
- The action, or the first move, falls on the player to the left of the big blind. They can either call the blind, raise it, or fold. The size of a raise must be at least twice the size of the bet preceding it; the maximum depends on whether you are playing with a limit or no-limit betting structure. Betting then continues around the table, clockwise.
- After the betting round is completed, three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table, which is referred to as the board. The first three cards in Texas Hold'em are called the flop. These cards are “community cards” meaning everyone can (and will need to) use at least three of them in combination with their own hole cards to make the best hand.
- From the flop on, betting begins with the player to the dealer’s left, who can check or bet. The players after must either check or bet if no one has bet yet; or they must call, raise, or fold if someone has.
- A fourth card is dealt face up onto the board. This is called fourth street or the turn card.
- Another round of betting.
- The final card is dealt face up. This card is also called fifth street or the river.
- A final round of betting occurs. The remaining players show their cards and the person who can make the best five-card hand by combining their pocket cards with the cards on the board wins.
Note: In some rare cases in Texas Hold'em, the five cards making up the board will actually be the best hand, in which case everyone left in the hand divides up the poker. - The deal passes to the next player to the left (who was small blind last hand) and a new hand is dealt.
And now you know all the basic rules to Texas Hold'em poker!
Tips:
Learn To Deal Texas Holdem Poker
- Make sure you learn the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em poker and how to play them, as well as the worst starting hands to play. Playing the former and folding the latter will immediately make you a better player.
- Once you've got the basics of how to play, make sure to understand how your position at the table can help or hurt you.
- It's always a good idea to follow good poker etiquette.