Texas Holdem Poker

Poker has predominantly included itself in popular culture over time and is referenced in songs, television, and books. People have been learning how to play Texas Holdem Poker for years, with the rules of the game being passed down from generation to generation. The popularity of the game can be credited to the several Texas Hold’em poker strategy movies like Casino Royale that came into play and portrayed the game as something that only the elite could participate in. But amongst the multitude of variants out there, Texas Hold’em poker is by far considered the most popular version of the poker game and is now played by people from all over the world.

The Texas Holdem poker variant is hands down the easiest poker variant to play. It does not require the players to count cards or use their memory skills. This card game is so simple that many players have claimed to pick it up after just a few games.

Although the origins of this poker game are widely disputed, one of the most popular theories in existence is that a texas road gambler by the name of T. “Blondie” Forbes created the game and formulated the earliest known Texas Holdem strategies.

What is Texas Hold'em Poker?

Every sport has its most popular game type, and every game has its favorite game type. When it comes to poker, Texas Hold’em gets the prize. Poker has dozens of games in it, and even those have several variations. However, among them all, the most popular form of poker currently played all over the world, especially online is Texas Hold’em poker.

Texas Hold 'em poker is by far the most popular form of poker players across the globe. Today, when you even mention playing a hand at the table, people tend to automatically assume that the game you’re playing is Texas Hold 'em poker. The reason this game (sometimes also referred to as Texas Poker) attained such popularity is because of its simplicity. By understanding the different poker hand rankings, and by thoroughly going through the different strategies, you can master your skills.

The objective of a texas poker game is simple - you play your cards right with the intention to win the pot in the middle of the table. The pot is the sum of all the bets placed by the participants sitting around the poker table.

The original version of the game is played with a deck of 52 cards, but there are variants like texas six plus poker, also known as short-deck poker. Texas six-plus poker rules say that the game can be played with a smaller 36-card deck, which means the cards with the values 2, 3, 4, and 5 of all poker suits are removed from the deck. Although the gameplay is the same, the Texas six-plus poker strategy tends to differ from the original Texas Hold’em poker hands strategy that we are all so familiar with.

If you are wondering how to play Texas six-plus poker, it is almost similar to the original. There are four streets of betting: Pre-Flop, Flop, Turn, and River. If you know how to play Texas Holdem poker, you are familiar with the hand rankings of the game. However, in the Texas six-plus poker rules, the hand rankings differ since the cards between 2 to 5 of all suits are excluded.

Texas Holdem Poker Rules

In the age of the internet, finding information on the topics you are looking for can be exhausting. With different websites talking about the same things and not really answering your questions to the point, finding information can get boring and you eventually lose interest. So let us give you a proper introduction to the basics of how to play texas holdem poker, and just for aesthetic purposes, you will find the rules in the form of pointers, like below:

1. A table usually consists of anything from 2 players to 10 players. As the game progresses and the wagering begins, players keep dropping out and the remaining players carry on with the game until one player wins the pot.
2. Each player is dealt 2 cards facedown (also known as hole cards). This rule applies to Texas Holdem poker and its variants like texas six plus poker. Learning how to play Texas Holdem poker is crucial because you need to have 360 information before getting a seat at the table.
3. Five community cards are dealt in between several rounds of betting.
4. The flop must be redealt if there are too many cards on it.
5. The board cards are mingled with the rest of the deck if the flop needs to be redealt because the poker cards prematurely flopped before the betting was completed, or the flop contained too many cards. The burn card is still lying on the desk. Without burning a card, the dealer gives a new flop after shuffling the deck and cutting it.
6. Players must use a combination of the face-up community cards and their hole cards to determine if their Texas Holdem poker hands will win them the pot. There are many betting rounds in Texas Holdem poker games and each round can help you read players and strategically decide whether you are going to win the pot or not.
7. Before you discard your cards, you must state whether you are playing the board or not; otherwise, you forfeit all claim to the pot.
8. Before the start of any hand, the two players on the left of the dealer are obligated to post a small blind and a big blind. According to Texas Holdem poker rules, the blinds are considered forced bets that initiate the wagering during a game.
9. As the number of players decreases, the stacks of the remaining players increase. This is when players resort to Texas Holdem poker strategies to help them win the pot.

How to Play Texas Holdem Poker

Now that you have worked up an appetite for the game, it's time to understand how the game is played. As the popular song goes- “you gotta know when to hold'em, know when to fold’em, know when to walk away, know when to run!”- You need to nail the gameplay if you want to learn how to play texas holdem and make a lot of money in the process.

The first step in the game is the dealing of the hole cards. Once that is done two players are obligated to place a small blind (Rs. 5) and a big blind (Rs. 10). The small blind is usually a small amount, and the big blind is always double that amount.

After the blinds are placed, the next player in the line will have to either Raise, Fold, or Call.

1. While using Texas Holdem poker strategies, a player will fold if they are truly disappointed in their cards and do not want to lose any money. Players who know how to play texas Holdem poker know the precise moment to fold the cards.
2.  If the player's Texas Holdem poker hand strategy is good, and they are satisfied with the cards they have in the starting hand, the player will raise.
3. If the player wants to play it safe and not raise nor fold their poker hands, they can call - which is to wager the maximum bet amount that has been placed on the table so far. So if the highest bet amount was Rs. 10, the player will call and bet the same amount of money.

Once all the players have committed the same amount of money to the pot, the round of betting ends.

After the first betting round, the dealer will burn one card and then place three community cards on the table that you can use to match up with your Texas Holdem poker hand. This stage of the game is called a flop.

After the Flop, the betting rounds continue just like before. But at this stage the players who know how to play texas holdem poker and they will make an informed decision. They are allowed to ‘Check’ and pass the action if they don't want to commit to the pot. The twist arises when a player decides to call and add money to the pot. After which the betting round continues as before where they can call, fold or raise until all the players have committed the same amount of money to the pot.

The next part of the game is called the ‘Turn’ in Texas Holdem poker. Over here the dealer adds one more card to the community cards. Over here the betting rounds continue as before, and money is added to the pot by whoever wants to add it.

Once all the bets are placed, the fifth and final card is placed face-up on the table. This is called the River. After the river, the players continue with their betting rounds until the remaining players are committed to the pot.

After the betting round, it's time for the big reveal to determine which player has won the round. This is usually determined by the texas poker hand rankings. If the combination of the player's hole cards and the community cards ranks higher than the rest of the players, then the player gets to take home the pot.

Importance of Poker Hand Rankings in Texas Hold’em

Spartan Poker is proud to present to you the best online platform to actively participate in playing Texas Hold’em poker online. You can learn how to play poker texas hold’em online in detail on our website itself, however, we will run you through it here as well. In any form of poker, luck and skill are both involved. However, having the best poker hand is what will ultimately get you the pot. Here are the different five-card poker hands you can possibly have while playing Texas Hold’em poker online.

• Royal Flush: The best of the lot is also the rarest. A Royal Flush poker hand consists of an A♦ K♦ Q♦ J♦ 10♦ of the same suit (diamonds, hearts, clubs, or spades).

• Straight Flush: Another card of novelty is the Straight Flush which consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence. For example, 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ of Hearts is a eight-high straight flush. Fun fact, the royal flush is actually the best possible straight flush since it is essentially an ace-high straight flush.

• Four of a Kind (Quads): When you possess four cards of an equal rank from any suit, you are said to have a Four of a Kind (Quad). For example, 9♣ 9♠ 9♦ 9♥ J♥.  It ranks below a straight flush and above a full house.

• Full House or Full Boat: A three-of-a-kind combined with a pair forms the Full House, also known as Full Boat. For example an 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥. It ranks below four of a kind and above a flush.

• Flush: Regardless of the order or sequence, If your poker hand consists of all five cards from the same suit, then you have what we call a Flush. For example, J♥ 8♥ 4♥ 3♥ 2♥ of Hearts.

• Straight: If you hold five cards in a sequence from any suit, you’ve got yourself a Straight. For example, 7♣ 6♠ 5♠ 4♥ 3♥.

• Three of a Kind: As the name suggests, it is having three cards of the same rank from any suit, along with two cards of different ranks with any suit, then you have a Three of Kind. For example, 2♦ 2♠ 2♣ K♠ 6♥.

• Two Pair: A pair is generally referred to as holding two cards of the same rank. If you have two of such pairs, you are said to have a Two Pair. For example, J♥ J♣ 4♣ 4♠ 9♥. It is irrelevant as to which rank and suit the fifth card holds.

• One Pair: Holding two cards of the same rank makes One Pair where the remaining three cards are of any rank from any suit. An example of this would be a 4♥ 4♠ K♠ 10♦ 5♠.

• High Card: The lowest ranking poker hand is the High card where it literally refers to the highest card in your hand. High cards are said to be formed when no other poker hand combinations apply. High cards also mean that in the case of a tie, the hand with the highest card wins. For example K♥ J♥ 8♣ 7♦ 4♠.

Texas Hold’em Poker Game Types

Texas Hold'em poker itself has many variants, largely based on how the betting takes place. It’s vital that you know how to play poker across these variations.

Pot Limit

Here, the bet is raised up to the total amount present in the pot. Let’s understand this further in detail with the help of an example. The total amount in the pot is 50 and the first player to act in the betting round bets 20, then the second player can bet a total of 30 (50-20). In Pot Limit games, there are no caps to the number of raises allowed.

No Limit

The title is befitting the manner of play as in this variant of Holdem, there are no betting limits. Players are free to bet any amount at any time which is inclusive of staking their entire stack. However, the rule of the minimum bet amount is equal to that of the Big Blind is very much present.

Limit Poker

Four bets are allowed during all betting rounds. These bets can comprise a Raise, Re-raise and the final Raise unlike No Limit poker and Pot Limit poker where there are no limits to the number of raises players can make. Here, the Bet, as well as the Raise, are both agreed upon prior to the poker game. At the end of the game, i.e. in the last two rounds, the Bet and the Raise must be equal to 2.

Texas Hold’em Poker Game Stages

Just like with any other poker games, this too has its own structure. When playing Texas Hold’em online, players will follow this set pattern in order to inch closer to winning the pot. Now that you know about the different game types, it is time for you to look at the stages of Texas poker online.

Blinds

Initially, the pot is formed by forced bets from two of the players positioned to the left of the dealer. These bets are referred to as Blinds since they are made before the players can see their cards. Blinds are of two kinds - small and big. The small blind is placed by the player to the left of the dealer. A big blind is placed by the player left of the player who has posted the small blind. The big blind is generally double the value of the small blind. Since the dealer keeps shifting places, the blinds also rotate.

Pre-flop

The first of the four betting rounds is called the pre-flop. This round begins with the player positioned to the left of the big blind as soon as the first two-hole cards are dealt. The first player has three options: call, raise, or fold.

• Call: If you are willing to remain in the game as per your hole cards, then you must call the bet placed by the big blind. This means raising the same amount as the big blind.
• Raise: If you feel you have good cards at your disposal, then you can decide to increase the bet made by the big blind. The value you raise depends on the table limits.
• Fold: If you judge that you have a weaker hand, then you can decide to not bet any further and discard your cards. You can fold in any of the four rounds of betting. However, by doing so, you lose all the money you may have previously bet till that point and stand no chance to win the pot.
• Flop: Three community cards are dealt on the table face-up during the Flop in poker. Once the flop is completed, the second round of betting begins. The guidelines are the same as it was in the pre-flop with two exceptions:

1. The player active to the left of the dealer will be the first player to act.

2. Since no bets have been placed, the first player to act can decide to check or bet.

• Turn: Another card is dealt face-up on the table after the betting round on the flop called the Turn. Players once again place their bets depending upon the newly introduced community card on the table.
  
  The size of the bet during the turn and the final round is doubled than the flop, everything else stays the same.
  
  You can go All-in here which means you can place your entire stack on the line if you are playing the No Limit variation of Hold’em where players can bet any amount of chips.

• River: The final community card is revealed face-up on the table to kick-start the last betting round. Soon after all players have placed their bets or folded their hands, we move to the showdown.

• Showdown: The showdown is a situation when, if more than one player remains after the last betting round, the remaining players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners.

Betting Structure in Texas Holdem

There are five main betting structures that are used in poker. 

• Fixed Limit: You can make bets and raise them at the same amount every time. There are different bet sizes based on the stakes of the game. 
  
  Small and big bet sizes must be the same for the first bet in any round. During a betting round, only three raises are usually allowed. 
  
  Any raises that don't match the amount of money being bet must also be equal to that amount. Three raises have been made, and now the other poker players can only fold or call if they don't want to play.
• No Limit: There is no upper limit on how much you can bet or raise. Because the blinds are big, the stakes for a no-limit game are based on how much money you have. Each time a player bets or raises, they must bet or raise at least the amount of the big blind. They are the only poker rules that apply, though, so that's why. A player can always bet any amount between the minimum bets and the amount they have at the table at any time.
• Pot Limit: The size of the pot limits all bets and raises. In a pot-limit game, the blinds are the same amount as in a no-limit game. The restrictions for how much you can bet and raise are the same. The size of the current pot determines the maximum amount you can bet or raise in the pot limit. All bets placed in the current round, as well as the amount required to call a previous bet. 
• Spread Limit: Spread limits are a middle ground between fixed limits and no limits. Each player can only put down and raise a certain amount. It's not all set in stone, though. Some of the rules can change. They don't have to raise or bet a certain amount. Instead, they have to stay in a certain range, which is called the spread. They have to stay in that range.
• Cap Limit: Cap limit is similar to no limit in terms of how it is played. The main distinction is that each player's ability to gamble a certain amount of money in each hand is limited. There is a limit to how much you can stake in each hand.

Betting Rounds in Texas Holdem

1. Pre-Flop: After the dealer gives everyone two cards, the player clockwise from the Right Blind has the option to fold, call, or raise the bet that was made before the turn. Then, play moves around the table clockwise.
2. Flop: During the Flop round, three cards are placed upright in the middle of the table by the Dealer, who then deals three cards to each player. Normal play then moves on, starting with the person who is clockwise from the Dealer.
3. Turn: A fourth card is put out at the start of the Turn Round or Fourth Street.
4. River: A fifth and last card is put out at the start of the River Round.
5. Showdown: If there are still players in the game after the River Round, they must show off their cards to everyone. The best hand wins the pot.

At the end of the round, the Dealer, Left Blind, and Right Blind rotate clockwise and gameplay begins again. For more info visit the How to Play Poker Game page

PUBG Vs Poker

Texas Hold'em Poker	Omaha Poker
The major difference is that 2 hole cards are dealt to the players.	The player receives 4 hole cards from the dealer in Omaha Poker.
The 2 hole cards need to be clubbed with 3 community cards to create the best hand according to the poker hierarchy.	Cards from the hand need to be combined with community cards to create a winning poker hand.

Earn Real Money Playing Poker Online

Playing poker is really simple if you know what you are doing. With the various opportunities that the internet provides, it is very easy for people to practice their Texas Holdem poker online game and play high stakes to win a lot of money. There are various tournaments that you can play online as well and brush up on your skills as well as observe how other top poker players go about winning big pots. 

Spartan Poker is excited to welcome you to our website if you haven’t registered with us already. Here, you can play Texas Hold’em online along with many other variations of real money poker with players around the world through our lucrative and profitable poker tournaments. You can also download our poker app, share it with your friends, and be showered with tons of rewards and beneficial offers. Play more and win more to join our very own prestigious VIP club for some exclusive offers. So, sign-up with Spartan, play various poker games and get your career soaring.

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