In Texas Hold’em Poker we play with a pack of 52 cards. There can play from 2 to a dozen or so people, but in practice we play maximum 10 players at one table. As in each kind of poker, in Texas Hold’em our main purpose is to gain the strongest combination of five cards. Let’s start from review of individual hands  ( in order  from the weakest to the strongest one)

Poker – straight flush – five next cards of the same suit. When two players have poker, wins a person whose poker starts with higher card. So the highest possible poker is so called Royal Straight Flush, starting with ace.  It is better than

A four of a kind – four cards of the same value, e.g. a four kings or a four of tens. A four of a kind with kings is certainly better than the one of tens. When two players have the same combination then the kicker (that is the fifth card) decides about the score.  For example, AAAAJ is better than AAAAT. When the kicker is the same we have a draw.

Full house – three cards of the same value in connection with a pair of cards of other value. When two players have full, wins the one who has stronger three. If they both have the same three then the pair decides. And when it is the same, too, we have a draw.

Flush, suit – any five cards of one suit. When two players have flush, wins the one whose flush contains the strongest card.

Straight – five next cards not coming from the same suit. When two players have straight, wins the player who has straight containing the strongest card. It is worth remembering, that ace can be used as an element of the highest possible straight
Two pairs – the name speaks for itself. For ex ample: AAQQ. When two players have two pairs, the higher pair decides about the score;  if it is the same, then lower pair settles. Finally the kicker is decisive, but if it is also the same -we have a draw.

One pair – two cards of equal value. E.g AA of 33. When two players have a pair, then value of these pair decides, and then in turn : the third, fourth  and fifth card.

It is better than

High card

When we have none of those combinations mentioned above, we have so called high card. If your rival has also high card, a win depends on whose card is higher. When they are the same, then in turn: second, third, fourth and fifth.

Four phases of a game

1.       We can divide one game (deal, hand) in four phases: pre-flop, flop, turn and river.

2.       We will describe it in turn.

3.       Pre-flop

4.       Just at the beginning you will see that three players are situated on special position. First of them is the dealer. He has the button in front of him (most often with the letter D). In fact, the dealer seldom really deals cards – most often it takes place during the amateur duels “at the collegue’s home”. In professional casino the croupier will help him out, and in a game online we will have the work done by computer program.

One way or another, pointing at the dealer (and marking him with letter D for convenience) is necessary because it decides about further course of a game. The player sitting on the left of the dealer occupies a position called small-blind (SB) and the next (that is  a person sitting  on the left of small-blind) has big-blind position (BB). What does it mean? So, the player on BB position has to put defined stake to the pool (big blind) and SB player has to add smaller amount (small blind). Small blind is usually a half of big blind.

How much do these stakes amount? – we get to know before taking a seat by the table – because it decides what a game goes on by a given table – for rich (high stakes) or for those less wealthy…

On the initial stage of your career you will probably play low-limit by stakes of blind about $0,5/$1.

Go back to the game. SB and BB have to throw their chips to the pool, whether they want it or not and before they see their cards (the name “blind” comes from that). It is aimed at prompting a game and money circulation. When blind stakes are already in a pool, we deal cards – every player gets two. Then we have the first phase of bidding. We start with the player sitting on the left of BB and finish when the input of all players is equal.

Each player can make the following moves :
Fold – I pass – when you have weak cards, you pass. It doesn’t make sense to lose chips hoping for a miracle.

5.       Call – enter – having nice card you add to the pool and get in a game.

6.       Raise – you raise with a strong card- you let the rivals know that you have a good card and at the same time you force them to make bigger expense when they want to stay in a game.

7.       Re-raise –it is possible only in case when somebody else has already raised before your turn. You have very strong card. Theoretically we could distinguish also re-re-raise and so on.

8.       Check- it is a move equivalent to call, when it doesn’t mean any expense. In pre-flop phase it is made by BB who has already put his stake to the pool and it is enough to say „check” to go to flop chase. On the stages: flop, turn and river we can check when it came our turn in bidding and nobody has increased the stake before(bet)

9.       Bet – it is actually the same as “raise” – and takes place in flop, turn and river phases, when nobody has raised the stake before our move (we do it as first)

Let’s trace bidding in pre-flop phase – there are 6 people playing
* player #1 (SB) adds $0,5 to a pool
*player #2 (BB) puts $1 to the pool
*All players get the cards
*player #3 (on the left of BB) starts bidding. He has weak card (23o), so he is passing.
*player #4  has average  cards- a pair of eights. He gets in the game putting $1.
*player #5 has weak card (24s) – he passes.

*player #6 (dealer) has  super cards – a pair of aces. He raises  putting $2 to the pool.

*player #1 (SB) has to add $1,5 to check (He has already put $0,5 as SB) – with  Q9o he decides to pass.
*player #2 (BB) (SB) has to add $1 to check (He has already thrown $1 as  BB) he tests with  KTs.
*player#4  with a pair of eights  adds  $1 and testing.

The pre-flop phase ends. There is $$6,5 in the pool (2 from each: 2,4,6 and $0,5 from 1 who has passed). In the example there appeared such symbols as 23o or KTs. It is the deuce and the three, KT is the king and the ten, while o and s means appropriately: off-suit (cards of different suits) and suited (of the same suit)

Go back to our example.

*There have appeared following cards on the table: Ace…, 8 spades, 2 squares. In this round (and next) bidding starts from the first player on the left of the dealer, in our example from the player #2. Having KTs in the hand (suppose, of hearts) this player has actually no chance to compose good hand. But nobody have raised before him, so #2 checks. The player #4 is satisfied with flop, because thanks to it he has the three of eights. He raises (bet) putting $1 to the pool. The player #6 (the dealer) is on privileged position – he takes decision as last. Owning the three of aces he re-raises adding $2 to the pool.

*The player #2 passes.

*The player $4 doesn’t know that #6 has so good hand and for sure he can’t pass his three of eights – he checks (call)

End of the flop phase. There is $ 10,5 in the pool.

--Turn--

*There appears the fourth card on the table – 3 hearts. The situations looks as follows:

*The player #4: 8,8, the player #6:A,A

*The table: A,8,2,3

*The three of clubs improved no-one’s situation. The player #4 with the three of eights is convinced that he leads in this deal – he raises (bet) by $2. #6 with three of aces is obviously a favourite, but he doesn’t want to put the player #4 straight and checks “modestly’  - thanks to it in the next phase #4 probably will raise again, giving the player #6 an opportunity to make re-raise and take from #4 as much chips as possible.

End of turn stage. There is $14,5 in the pool.

--- river ---

The last phase. There appears the fifth card on the table. We have the following situation:

*The player #4: 8,8. The player #6: A, A.

*The table: A,8,2,3,8

*We can easily guess the situation on the table has changed radically. #4 has a four of  a kind and is absolutely sure of his win – seeing the cards on the table he knows that his four of eights is the strongest regardless of what #6 has in hand.  Such a hand we call “nuts” : )

This player is “safe bet”, so his only purpose is to draw from $6 as much tokens as possible. So- bet $2.

*The player #6 doesn’t guess that the rival has four of a kind and he got the highest full – and with pleasure makes re-raise - $4.

*The player #4 obviously re-re-raises – next $4 (in total in this round: $6)

*It makes #6 wonder – he decides not to put up the stake and makes “call” – next $2(in total in this round: $6).

*It happens so called “showdown” – the players show their cards and the player $4 wins the pool of $26,5….

Above-mentioned example is quite atypical game in which we have not much strategy and tactics – the player #6 has simply got very strong card and has lost with rare type of a four of a kind. However, it is a good illustration of a course of the game Texas Hold’em. To master the rules you should play a dozen or so or even a few dozen deals by <demo tables> (play money).

A few remarks

Button – after each deal the button pointing at the dealer moves one field to the left, so every player has the same number of opportunities to play as a dealer, SB, BB and “an ordinary player”.

All-in – it can happen, that the player lacks money to check a rival. But it doesn’t mean automatic elimination. He can enter “all-in” (for all) and stay in the game to the end of the deal, despite the fact his funds was not enough to test the competitor. For instance: we have two players, A and B. A has 3 chips before a deal, and B has 100 chips. In pre-flop phase they both put 1 token, in flop it is s alike, and in turn B raises by 2 tokens. While A has only one token, so he enter “all-in”. His total contribution to the pool amounts 3, while cumulative input of B is 4 tokens. If the player A wins this deal he will have rights only to this part of the pool which he has participated in. Certainly, if it wins B he will take everything and A is out of the game and has to buy some more chips or leave the table.

Limit vs. no-limit – all that we said refered to a variety Limit Texas Hold’em (or Low-Limit if we talk of playing high). Limit is good to start with, but the unquestionable king of poker (Cadillac of Poker, as Doyle Brunson used to say) is no-Limit Texas Hold’em. The difference is quite simple – limits in bidding do not apply to us. We may bet all our funds at any time, regardless of how much it is.  We don’t need to explain that there happen spectacular deals and spectacular wins. And obviously spectacular defeats, of what I would like to remind the beginners….