▪️Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold’em
Driven by the popularity of televised poker, Texas Hold'em (aka 'Hold'em') has become the most popular poker game in the world, whether in casinos or online at PokerVegas. We'll go into more detail below, but here are the key points you need to know:
Each player receives two cards, for his eyes only
The dealer deals five cards - three at a time, then another, then another - that can be used by all players to make the best possible five-card hand
Before and after each card is revealed, players take turns betting. To stay in the hand and see the next card, all players must have placed the same amount of chips in the pot as each other
The best poker hand wins the pot
It is a simple game to learn, but has the potential to be played with a seemingly endless variety of strategies, tactics, and nuances.
The rules of Texas Hold'em
Before you start playing Hold'em you need to learn the rules. In Hold'em, each player is dealt two cards of his own, called hole cards, which belong to him alone. Five community cards are dealt face-up to form the "board. All players in the game use these shared community cards together with their hole cards to form their best possible five-card poker hand. In Hold'em, a player can use any combination of seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, using none, one or two of his hole cards.
The four major variations of Hold'em are differentiated from each other by their betting limits:
Limit Texas Hold'em: There is a predetermined bet limit on each betting round.
No Limit Texas Hold'em: A player can bet any amount, up to his total chips.
Pot Limit Texas Hold'em: A joiner can bet any amount, up to the size of the pot.
Mixed Texas Hold'em: The game switches between rounds of Limit Texas Hold'em and No Limit Texas Hold'em.
Blinds
In Hold'em, a marker called the "button" or "dealer button" indicates which player is the designated dealer for the current hand. Before the hand begins, the player immediately to the left of the button posts the small blind, the first mandatory bet. The player immediately to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is usually twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and the betting structure in play.
In Limit games, each big blind is the smallest bet, and the small blind is usually half the size of the big blind, but can be larger depending on amounts.
For example:
Player Bet Options
In Hold'em, as in many poker formats, the actions available are fold, check, bet, call or raise. The options available depend on the action taken by previous players. If no one has yet placed a bet, then a player may either check (pass without betting, but holding their cards) or bet (bet). If a player has bet, subsequent players can fold, call or raise. To call means to match the amount that the previous player has bet. To raise means not only to match the previous bet, but to increase it.
Pré-Flop
After seeing their hole cards, each player now has the option of playing their hand by calling or raising from the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a 'live' bet for this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind is $2, the cost to call is $2, and at least $4 to raise. The action proceeds clockwise around the table.
Note: The betting structure varies according to the different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting in Limit Hold'em, No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Hold'em can be found below. Betting continues in each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.
The Flop
When the betting is over on the flop, the turn is flipped open on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in Hold'em (and is sometimes called 'Fourth Street'). Another round of betting begins, starting with the active player immediately to the left of the button.
The River
When the betting is over on the turn, the river (or Fifth Street) is turned open on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in a Hold'em game. The betting action begins with the active player immediately to the left of the button, and the same betting rules as on the flop and turn (explained above) apply.
Showdown
If there is more than one player remaining when the final round of betting is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows his cards, unless there are no bets in the final round. In that case, the player immediately to the left of the button shows his cards first. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the case of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. Hold'em rules state that all suits are equal.
After the pot is awarded to the winners, a new hand of Hold'em is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to another player, the blinds and antes are re-raised, and new hands are dealt to each player.
Limit, No Limit, Pot Limit e Mixed Texas Hold'em
The rules of Hold'em remain the same for Limit, Pot Limit, and No Limit games, with a few exceptions:
Limit Texas Hold'em - Limit bets are structured, pre-determined amounts. On the pre-flop and flop, all bets and raises are the same size as the big blind. On the turn and river, the size of all bets and raises are doubled. In Limit Hold'em, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes the (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and the (4) cap (final raise).
No Limit Texas Hold'em - The minimum bet in No Limit Hold'em is equal to the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much as they wish, up to their total chips.
Minimum raise: In No Limit Hold'em games, the raise amount must be at least that of the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if one player is the first to act and bets $5, then the second player must raise at least $5 (total bet of $10). Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips at the table).
Pot Limit Texas Hold'em - The minimum bet in Pot Limit Hold'em is equal to the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.
Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least that of the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if one player is the first to act and bets $5, then the second player must give a raise of at least $5 (total bet of $10).
Maximum Raise: The size of the pot, which is defined by the total of the active pot, plus all the bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must to call before the raise.
For Example: If the pot size is $100, and there is no previous action on that particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action goes to the next player, clockwise. The player may fold, pay $100, or raise to any amount between the minimum (put up another $100) or the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 - the raising player must first call $100, increasing the pot to $200, and then raise another $200, making a total of $400.
In Pot Limit Hold'em games, there is no maximum value on the number of raises allowed.
Mixed Texas Hold'em No Mixed Hold'em, o jogo muda entre rodadas de Limit Hold'em e No Limit Hold'em. Os blinds geralmente são aumentados quando o jogo muda de No Limit para Limit, para assegurar a consistência do tamanho do pote médio em cada jogo. As regras de aposta em cada rodada seguem as regras para cada jogo, como descritas acima.
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