Basic Texas Hold ‘Em Tips and Strategies

Read my blog entries for more in-depth analysis of poker strategies that have worked for me.  Please be patient – I spend a lot of time playing poker and I’m writing as fast as I can in my free time.

Introduction to Texas Hold ‘Em:

Texas Hold ‘Em has quickly become one of the most popular casino games in the world. It has skyrocketed in popularity, in no small part due to the televising of the large poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. Texas Hold ‘Em is a very simple game to play, yet most experienced players will agree it is probably the most complex of the poker games. The action is fast-paced with players raising, re-raising, bluffing, calling and going all in. Lady luck can shine or frown on anyone at any time. That’s Poker!

Texas Hold ‘Em poker is exciting and the potential rewards are enormous. Consider for a moment, the purses you’ve seen the major tournament players taking down for a single tournament. Instant millionaires are made, and fairly regularly, those winners are amateur players. Not just any amateur player – they have taken the time to learn beyond the basic and they practice the game regularly. You will find that you need to do both to become a profitable poker player. The online poker tips I will share should certainly help any beginner improve their game immensely. Hopefully you experienced players will gain some useful knowledge as well. Sometimes it’s good to hear an old idea from a new perspective, so keep an open mind!

Poker can be learned in a few hours but it takes years to master the finer points.

The Basics of Hold ‘Em Poker:

The Button - represents the dealer. In online games the dealer is a computer program. The button moves clockwise around the table of online players. The player “on the button” gets dealt his or her cards last and bets last in each round. The position of the button is a hugely important consideration in determining your positional strategy.

The Blinds – Texas Hold ‘Em usually has no antes, therefore, two forced players are referred to as the “small blind” and “big blind.” These players sit to the immediate left of the dealer. The small blind is usually half the minimum bet and the big blind equals the minimum bet.

The Deal and Rounds - The first two players to the left of the button post their blinds. Each player is dealt two cards (known as hole cards of pocket cards) face down. Play begins with the player immediately to the left of the button and the first round of betting (pre-flop betting) begins. The first player to act pre-flop is the one left of the big blind. That player may choose to bet, fold or raise. Each player has the same opportunities to bet, check, raise or fold. The blinds get the final opportunity to bet. This final decision by the big blind is known as the “option.”

The Flop - Three cards are dealt face up at the center of the table. These are known as common or community cards. Another round of betting occurs, beginning with the player immediately to the left of the button.

The Turn – One card is deal face up at the center of the table. This is known as the turn or fourth street. Another round of betting occurs, beginning with the first remaining player immediately to the left of the button.

The River – One final card is dealt face up at the center of the table. This is known as the river or fifth street. The final round of betting occurs, beginning with the first remaining player immediately to the left of the button.

The Showdown – After all betting is completed, and if more than one player remains, a showdown occurs. The winner of the showdown is the player with the best five card hand possible using the 5 community cards and the player’s individual pocket cards.

Review my glossary or poker terms and check out the archived blog entries for more tips.

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