Texas Holdem - Tips for a beginner
I love to play Texas Holdem poker! I learned to play Texas Holdem about three years ago, and since that time, it has become somewhat of a sensation. Most everyone has seen Texas Holdem on the World Poker Tour, the hit show on the Travel Channel. Of course there’s the World Series of Poker, held each year in Las Vegas. This event draws poker professionals, amateurs, internet players, and celebrities, playing Texas Holdem for big bucks.
So what do you need to know about Texas Holdem to start playing? If you are a Texas Holdem novice, you’ll first have to understand what hands beat what. Following are Texas Holdem poker hands ranked from the best to the worst.
Royal Straight Flush - This is the best possible hand you can get, and is rarely seen, even if you play a lot. The cards are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 all the same suit.
Straight Flush – This hand is five cards, all the same suit, in succession (example 7-8-9-10-J). An Ace can play in both low and high straights.
Four Of A Kind – This is simple—four Kings, four 2s, etc.
Full House - A full house happens when you have both three of a kind and also a pair.
Flush - A flush occurs when you have five cards of the same suite (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades).
Straight - A straight occurs when a player has five cards in ranked succession. Again an Ace can play as a low or high card.
Three Of A Kind – Three of a kind is three of the same type of card (three Kings, three 3s, etc.)
Two Pair - Two pair is when your best five cards create a pair twice.
One Pair - One pair is self explanatory (two Kings, two 7s, etc.)
High Card - This simply is the highest card in someone’s hand if they cannot make a pair.
To play Texas Holdem, each person is dealt two cards, one at a time, starting to the left of the dealer button. After the deal, it is time to bet. There is a small blind and a big blind in each hand. The small blind puts in half of the predetermined minimum bet; the big blind puts in the minimum bet. After betting comes the “Flop.” The flop in Texas Holdem is when the dealer turns over three cards in the middle of the table. These are community cards that each player can use to better their hand.
After the flop, everyone bets again. Next is the “Turn” or “Fourth Street.” This is when the dealer turns over a fourth card. Again, everyone bets. Finally, comes the “River,” which is the fifth card turned up by the dealer. Everyone bets for the last time. Note that in Texas Holdem when betting occurs, everyone has the option to fold.
The remaining players in the hand show their cards in order from the person who bet first. Each player uses his two cards, and the five community cards to create the best hand . A player can use any combination, so even if one card from his pocket cards and four of the community cards creates the best hand, it is fine. When all five of the cards in the community make the best hand then everyone splits the pot.
For more information and strategies about Texas Holdem, search online.