Texas Holdem Poker Review
Texas Hold’em poker is one of the most popular forms of poker today. It is a community card game where every player receives two cards dealt face down, and then five community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. Players then take turns betting, aiming to make the best five-card hand possible. Play at 22Bet Casino!
How to Play Texas Hold’em
Each player at the table is dealt two face-down cards to start a hand. These are known as your “hole” cards. A round of betting ensues, opening with the player to the left of the big blind (the forced bet made before any cards are dealt). In this first round of betting, you can either “call” the bet by matching it, “raise” the bet by increasing it, or “fold” your hand and give up any chance of winning.
Once the first round of betting is complete, three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are known as the “flop.” Another round of betting ensues, with the same options as the first round.
After the flop betting is complete, a fourth community card is dealt face up (identified as the “turn”). Once again, another round of betting occurs.
Finally, a fifth and final community card is dealt face up (known as the “river”). One last round of betting ensues, and then if more than one player is still left in hand, it will go to a “showdown.” This is where every player remaining reveals their hole cards, and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
Texas Hold’em Hand Rankings
Like any other form of poker, a specific hand ranking determines who wins the pot. The following is a list of the possible hands you can make in Texas Hold’em, from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush: Five cards in a row, all of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
- Full House: Three of a kind combined with a pair.
- Straight: Five cards in a row of any suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Flush: Any five cards of the same suit.
- Two Pair: Two separate pairs.
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- High Card: If no one has any of the above hands, the highest card will win.
Texas Hold’em Betting
Betting is a central part of poker, and Texas Hold’em is no different. There are four main betting rounds in a hand of Hold’em: preflop, flop, turn, and river.
- Preflop is the first betting round after each player has been allocated their hole cards.
- The flop is the second betting round after the first three community cards have been dealt.
- The turn is the third betting round after the fourth community card has been dealt.
- The river is the fourth and final betting round after dealing with the fifth and final community cards.
In general, the betting works like this: each player can either “call” the current bet, “raise” the current bet, or “fold” their hand. If everyone but one player folds, then that remaining player wins the pot without having to show their cards. If more than one player is still in hand after the final betting round, then it goes to a “showdown,” where every player reveals their cards, and the best five-card hand wins.
Winning at Texas Hold’em
There is no surefire way to win at Texas Hold’em, but there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of winning. One important thing to remember is that poker is a game of skill, so the more you play, the better you will become.
