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Texas
holdem is one of the easiest forms of poker to learn to play. Learning
to
master Texas hold'em poker is another matter entirely, but that
challenge is
part of what makes Texas hold'em so appealing. The first thing you need
to know
to play Texas hold'em is the play of the hand, that is, how each hand
plays out.
Playing Texas Hold'em: The Blinds
All poker games need a way to "seed" the
pot, that is to say,
to get money into the pot right away so that the players have something
to
compete for when they are playing. If Texas
Holdem rules didn't allow money in the pot to begin with, players would
just continually fold until they had nearly unbeatable hands and the
game
wouldn't be much fun. In some games, all players put in an ante, or
predetermined amount, before the cards are dealt. In cash Texas hold'em
games,
there are no antes, and the action is driven by two blind bets. The
small blind
puts in half the standard bet for the game, and the player to his left,
the big
blind, puts in a full bet. Subsequent players must match this blind bet
or raise
to continue playing. When it gets back to the blinds, they may call or
raise as
well.
Play with fun themed Texas
Hold'em party plates and decorations.
Playing Texas Hold'em: The Order of Play
In the first round, the player to the left of the big blind acts first,
and may
either fold, call the big blind or raise. Play then proceeds clockwise
around
the table with each player having the same options. Once the last
player or
"button" has acted, the small blind may fold, complete their bet (or
call any raises) or raise. The big blind may then check (or call if
there has
been a raise) or raise. If the big blind raises, he is said to be
exercising his
"option."
After the flop, the first player to the left of the dealer who is still
in the
hand acts first and may check or bet. Play again proceeds clockwise and
each
player may check or bet if there has not yet been a bet; they may also
fold,
call or raise if there has been a bet. A player can technically fold
even if
there has been no bet, but there is no reason to do so and it is
considered an
amateurish move. This order continues on the turn and river and the
players
remaining after the river show down their hands, starting with the
player whose
last bet was called. For the next hand, everyone's position shifts one
to the
right, so the big blind becomes the small blind and the small blind
becomes the
button.
Playing Texas Hold'em: The Betting
In a fixed limit hold'em game, there are usually two betting limits,
with the
second twice as large as the first, for example $3/$6 or $8/$16. This
means that
pre-flop and on the flop, players can bet and raise in increments of
the smaller
amount, and on the turn and river, they can bet in increments of the
larger
amount. Players must bet in exactly these increments, no more or less.
In a
no-limit game, players can bet whatever amounts they want, with the
minimum bet
being the size of the big blind and the minimum raise being the size of
the bet
you are rising (for example if someone bets $5 you must raise to at
least $10)
and the maximum bet being whatever you have in front of you. In a
pot-limit
game, the minimum bet is the size of the big blind, and the maximum is
the size
of the pot after you have called whatever the bet is to you at the time.
Texas
Hold'em, like most other card games,
is a betting game.
About taking as much of you opponents chips as possible. With that
said, it
should not only be about the money but also about having fun. If you
want to try
playing Texas Hold�em you
don't have to go to a casino and spend
money.
There are many good and entertaining free
texas holdem sites where you can play with no risk of losing money.
Keep a few printable game activities in the car
that can also be used in a restaurant to occupy the kids.
For party games, the best ones are the games that
do not eliminate people. Eliminating people outcasts them. For a party,
try to use group games. If a group is eliminated it
isn't as harsh as a person at a time.
Texas Hold'em party supplies and games:
Free Texas Hold'em Printable Party Games and
Activities
Texas Hold'em Party Supplies
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