How to Play

If you have never ever played a game any sort of poker before, then this web site gives a good, easy to follow overview of the game.

Texas Hold'em differs from the game of poker we may have all played as kids, where five cards are dealt to each player, their is a round of betting, each player can discard some cards and draw some more etc.  That type of poker is called 'Draw Poker'.  Texas Hold'em however is a 'Community Poker' game.

A community game is where the players have some cards in their hand, but there are also some cards on the table that every player can use to make the best five card poker hand.

In Texas Hold'em each player is dealt two cards face down, these are called the 'hole cards'.  There are also five card dealt face up on the table which are community cards.  The idea is to make the best 5 card poker hand from any of the seven cards available (the two in your hand plus the five on the board).

No Limit Texas Hold'em is so called because there is 'no limit' to the amount that can be bet at any time.  The only limit to what a player can bet is the amount of chips they have in front of them.

The sequence of play for Texas Hold'em is:

1.  To start the game, a dealer is decided by a card dealt to each player.  The player with the highest card is the dealer.

2.  The player to the left of the dealer placed the small blind bet.  The player to the left of the small blind places the big blind bet.

3.  The dealer deals two cards, one at a time, to all the players starting with the small blind

4.  There is a round of betting.  This is called the 'pre flop' round. 

5.  The first three community cards are dealt face up (called the flop).

6.  There is a round of betting.  In this and all further rounds, the fist person to act is the player to the left of the dealer

7.  The fourth community card is dealt face up (the turn)

8.  There is a round of betting

9.  The fifth and last community card is dealt face up (the river)

10. There is a final round of betting

It might look complicated to read the actions in a list like this, but everyone I have ever seen (even someone where the most sophisticated card game they ever played previously was Snap) has picked it up in the first couple of hands.  Don't worry, after your fifth or sixth hand you'll be folding, calling and raising like a pro.

Some Tips to Enjoy the Game

To get the most enjoyment from the game, you need to understand the hand ranks in poker.  Everyone understands a pair is good, and trips (three of a kind) is better, but as the community cards come out, very often you will find your hole cards plus the community cards can make a straight or a flush, or something even better.  Imagine where there is one card to come and you need one diamond to make a flush, and your opponent needs a 7 or a jack to make a straight, and there is another player with three eights you will both beat if one or the other hits.  The shared community cards are what makes Hold'em such an exciting game, as often several players will have the potential winning hand, but the outcome wont be known until the river card hits.

Wiki has a very good section on poker hand ranks here. 

Sometimes it is easy to miss a straight or a flush on the board.  For example, if you have 8,5 in your hand, and the board is Ace, 9, 2, 7, 6, can you see that you have a straight, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9?  It is always worth taking a little extra time to examine all the cards and just double check if you have made a hand or have a draw to a hand.  You will kick yourself you you throw away a hand you thought was no good and it turns out it could have scooped the pot (as I know from first hand experience).

Remember, the cards speak for themselves, so even if you think you have lost the hand, turn your cards up and the dealer/other players will help work out the winning hand.

A poker professional, Howard Lederer, has produced a DVD that gives a very good overview of how to play Tournament style Hold'em.  You are welcome to borrow my copy, or come around early before the game and watch it first.