About Texas Hold’em Poker
Texas Hold’em poker is the most popular form of poker right now. There are three different variations of Texas Hold’em poker rules: limit, pot-limit and no limit poker. All variants have the same structure and hand values; the difference is in the betting. Texas Hold’em poker is played with a standard 52-card deck.
The best known and most popular is Texas Hold ’em No-Limit. The object of NLH is to make the highest possible combination with the two cards in hand and the five cards on the table. The great thing about Texas Hold’em is the fact that you can also do this with one of your own cards combined with four cards on the table.
Little is known about the history of Texas Hold’em. According to the Texas Senate, the game originated in the early 20th century in Robstown, Texas. After it became popular in Texas, it quickly moved to Las Vegas, where Poker had been legal since 1931. The person who made it happen was Felton ‘Corky’ McCorquodale. In 1963 Corky introduced the game to the California Club.
The influence of Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim made Texas Hold’em extremely popular. Benny Binion, the owner of what was then the Horseshoe casino, now Binion’s Gambling Hall, arranged for Texas Hold’em to be played directly in the first edition of his World Series of Poker in 1970.
Johnny Moss, who won the tournament in 1970, 1971 and 1974, was later inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Although Texas Hold’em and a host of other variants have been played around the world for many years, the big break came in 2003. All of this was due to Chris Moneymaker playing the $10,000 Main Event of the World Series of Poker as a recreationist. in Las Vegas to his name. Moneymaker had qualified for just over $50 on PokerStars through a qualifier before going live against such famous stars as Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson. In a nutshell, the pros were beaten by the amateur, and in addition to everlasting fame, Chris Moneymaker was awarded $3,000,000 for his stellar performance.
How Does Texas Hold’em No Limit Work?
Texas Hold’em No Limit is played with 52 cards and the betting limits are predetermined. If you want to join a hand you have to pay a blind. The blinds are also determined in advance. In tournaments, the blinds often go up every so often. We call this ‘blind levels’ In poker you have a small blind ‘small blind’ and the big blind ‘big blind.’
Big Blind, Small Blind and Antes
In major tournaments, there is a dealer who deals with the cards. If there is no dealer at the table, the players themselves deal the cards. To make this as easy as possible, there is a disc that turns clockwise to the next player each round. The game starts with the two face-down cards dealt with each player. The deal is clockwise and starts with the player to the left of the dealer. The player to the left of the dealer is also the small blind. The small blind is always required to bet a certain amount. The big blind is to the left of the small blind. He also has to bet a mandatory amount. In some tournaments, you will also have to deal with “ante”. This is a small amount that must be wagered by every player at the table. Since 2017, a big blind ante has mainly been used during tournaments.
Before the Flop
If you are playing a tournament and there are only two players left, the dealer is automatically the small blind, and the other player is the big blind. When each player has their two cards and the blinds have placed their mandatory bet on the table, the hand can begin. The player to the left of the big blind (1st position) has three options. He can “call,” which means that he puts the amount that the big blind has bet on the table. His second option is raise “raise,” and finally, he can also decide to discard the hand, this is called “fold”. When you fold, you discard the cards and you don’t have to show them. Betting continues until each player who wants to join the hand has wagered the same amount.
The Flop
When the betting is completed, the first three cards can be dealt to the table. The next step is to turn over three cards, which we call the “flop.” Now it’s time to estimate how good the cards you have in your hand are. Which combinations do you already have, and which combination could you possibly make with the two cards to come.
Action on the Flop
The player to the left of the dealer’s small blind gets to decide what to do first. His first option is to “check,” and his second option is to “bet.” If the small blind bets, the other players can call, raise or pass. When you call, you make the amount equal to the bet of the small blind. With a raise, you go over him and with a fold you throw away your cards. This continues until the bet of everyone who still wants to play is equal.
The Turn
It is now time for the fourth community card. The top card of the deck is discarded again, and the card after that is called the “turn.” Now there is another round of betting in which the small blind gets to decide what to do first.
The River
The turn is followed by the fifth and final community card, also known as the “river.” The final betting round follows after the river. If the bet of the players who still want to continue playing is equal, a “showdown” follows. When everyone has checked on the river, the first player to the dealer’s left must open his or her cards first. If a player has made a bet or raise in the final round, it is his turn to be the first to reveal the cards.
Showdown
The player with the best five-card combination wins the round. If you see that you have lost, you do not have to show your cards. If both players have a hand of equal value, the pot is split. If the five cards on the table are higher than the hand of the remaining players, the pot is also split.
Texas Holdem Hand Rankings
Without understanding what beats what in poker, it will be close to impossible to play it. Luckily, Holdem has standard hands rankings, so you should have no problems memorizing this for future use.
Here is a poker hands list from the strongest holding to the weakest:
#1. Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a Ten of the same suit – A♣ K♣ Q♣ J♣ T♣
#2. Straight Flush: five cards in a row with the same suit that is not A-high, such as – T♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠
#3. Four of a Kind: combination with four cards of the same rank, like 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ 8♣ 4♣
#4. Full House: three cards of the same rank and a pair, like J♥ J♦ J♣ 5♥ 5♣
#5. Flush: five cards of the same suit that are not in a row, like K♥ Q♥ 8♥ 5♥ 3♥
#6. Straight: five cards in a row, like 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♣ 9♦
#7. Three of a Kind: three cards of the same rank and two cards that do not match, like 9♥ 9♠ 9♣ 6♦ 3♠
#8. Two Pair: combination with two different pairs, like 4♣ 4♠ 7♣ 7♠ K♣
#9. One Pair: two cards with the same rank and three random cards, like A♦ A♥ J♣ 7♦ 3♥
#10. High Card: when all your cards are with different ranks and with no combination, like K♥ Q♠ 8♣ 3♠ 2♦
Texas Hold’em Terms
Blinds: Short for “blind bets,” these are mandatory bets before the cards are dealt. In Hold’em, the blinds take the place of the classic “ante.”
Burn Card: The card that is dealt face down before a community card is dealt.
Button: A nickname for the player who acts as the dealer in the current hand or the name the physical dealer uses to identify the current dealer.
Check: Similar to a call, but without the bet already being placed. If no bet or raise has taken place, the next player can check.
Fifth Street: See River.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt.
Fourth Street: See Turn.
Preflop: Everything that happens before the flop is dealt is called preflop.
River: The last community card to be dealt; is also known as the fifth street.
Showdown: When players show their hands to determine who wins the pot.
Turn: The fourth community card dealt, also known as the fourth street.
One of the first things you need to learn to become a profitable player is to play tight. That means you only play the strong starting hands and fold all other hands. The stronger the starting hand is, the easier it will be to play the hand without mistakes.
Playing tight is the absolute foundation when learning to play poker profitably.