Texas Holdem Poker

Texas Holdem (or simply, "Holdem") is the most popular poker game in the casinos and poker card rooms across
North America and Europe. Driven by the popularity of big events such as the World Poker Tour and the World
Series of Poker, playing Texas Hold'em has become a big enough pastime that many people have begun playing
online at sites like PokerStars.

Before you begin playing Texas Holdem however, you'll want to learn the rules first. In Texas Hold'em, each poker
player is dealt two cards (known as "hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt
face-up on the "board". All players in the game use these cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to make the
best possible five-card poker hand.

The three major variations of Texas Holdem are distinguished from each other by their betting limits:

Limit Texas Holdem: There is a specified betting limit in each game and on each round of betting.
No Limit Texas Holdem: A player can bet all of his chips at any time.
Pot Limit Texas Holdem: A player can bet what is in the pot.

Each of these Texas Hold'em variations are available online to play for free (play money) or play online for real
money. Visit Poker Stars now.

If you would prefer to learn to play Texas Holdem using a more hands-on method, we offer free poker games in our
poker room for you to practice your poker skills. Just visit our free poker download page, install our award winning
poker software and you'll be learning Texas Hold'em in no time.

However, if you'd rather familiarize yourself with the rules of Texas Hold'em first, then these instructions should help.

The Blinds

In Texas Holdem, a disc called "the button" indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before
the game begins, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind", typically half a small bet (for
example, $1 in a $2/$4 game). The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big blind", which is
always a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). Now each player receives his or her two hole cards.

Pre-Flop

After seeing his or her pocket cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the
big bet. As mentioned before, the big bet is the size of a full small bet. Thus in a $2/$4 Texas Hold'em game, it would
cost $2 to call in this initial round of betting (known as the "pre-flop").

In Texas Holdem the available actions are bet, call or raise. These options are available depending on the action
taken by the previous player. Each poker player always has the option to fold. The first player to act has the option
to bet, call or raise. Subsequent players have the option of calling or raising. To call is to bet the same amount as
the previous player has bet. To raise is to match the previous bet and increase the bet.

Now, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop consists of the first three community poker cards available to
all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises occur in
small bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game). The same rules apply from above to complete this round of poker
betting.

Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in limit
holdem, no-limit holdem, and pot-limit holdem can be found below.

The Flop

Now three cards are dealt face-up on the board - this is known as the flop. In Texas Hold'em, the three cards on the
flop are community cards available to all players still in the hand. Betting begins with the active player immediately
clockwise of the button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game).

When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth
community card in a Texas Hold'em poker game. Play begins with the active online player immediately clockwise the
button. On this round, Same rules apply as above except that poker betting doubles from the small bet to the big
bet. In a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is done in $4 increments.

The Turn

When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the
fourth community card in Texas Hold'em. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise of the button. On
this round, the betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. Thus, in a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is upped
to $4 bets.

The River

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth
and final community card in a Texas Hold em game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the
button and the same poker rules apply as they do in the fourth card explained above.

The Showdown

If there is more than one remaining poker player when the final betting round is complete playing Texas Hold'em, the
last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise
the button shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the Texas Hold'em pot. In the
event of identical hands, the poker pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

At the end of the final betting round, if there is more than one remaining poker player, the last bettor or raiser shows
his or her cards first. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise the button shows his or
her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be
equally divided between the players with the best hands. Texas Hold'em rules state that all suits are equal, so split
pots are more common than in other variations of poker.

After the pot is awarded, a new game of Texas Hold'em is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to
the next player and new hands are dealt to each player.

Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit Holdem
Texas Hold'em rules remain the same for limit, no limit and pot limit poker games, with a few exceptions:

Limit Texas Hold'em

In Limit Texas Hold'em a maximum of four bets is allowed per player during any betting round. This includes a (1)
bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise), but in No Limit Texas Hold'em and Pot Limit Texas Hold'em there
is no limit to the number of raises that a player can make.

No Limit Texas Hold'em

Minimum raise: In no limit Texas Hold'em, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in
the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5
(total bet of $10).

Maximum eligible raise:: The size of your stack (your chips on the table)

Pot Limit Texas Hold'em

Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an
example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10).

Maximum raise: The size of the poker pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot plus all bets on the table
plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.