Texas Hold ‘Em Poker has become extremely popular of late - it even replaced Baccarat in the recent remake of Casino Royale. If you see poker on the TV then it’s probably this one. It is pretty simple and quite quick too. It is an ideal game for playing for money but it is easy enough to play for a laugh round the kitchen table.
The objective of the game is to beat the other players and win the pot of money. It is not necessary to win every pot. The winning player will be the one who makes the shrewdest decisions over the course of the whole game. You need a standard 52 card deck and a “Dealer Token” to play. The “Dealer Token” is a bit peculiar. It doesn’t really matter who deals - if fact in a casino the dealer is constant and doesn’t play - but it is important to know who would be dealing if the dealer changed to the next person on the left each hand. This is more to decide who bets first.
Before you begin you need to know a couple of things. Firstly you need to set the “Big Blind”. This is simply the minimum allowed bet. Then you need to know which variant you’re playing. There are 3 main types - limit, no limit and pot-limit. Limit is the most common, especially on-line. Limit means that in the first two round of betting players can only raise by the minimum bet, or Big Blind. This is called the small-bet. For the rest of the betting the raises have to be double the Big Blind which is called the big bet. In no-limit the only limit is the amount of chips you have to play. You can bet everything you have on a hand - which is called an All-In bet - but it is really risky! In Pot-Limit the maximum raise can only be as big as the total pot.
Now you know which version you’re playing and the amount of the Big Blind then you can start playing.
The person to the left of the dealer (or dealer token) places a bet equal to half the minimum, Big Blind, bet. This is called the Small Blind. The person to his left places a bet equal to the Big Blind. This is to make sure that in every hand there is a pot. In Hold Em you can’t just sit every hand out until you get dealt all the aces!
Everyone is then dealt 2 cards. These are called “Hole Cards”. You are allowed to look at these. Then everyone has to decide if they want to bet. This stage is called Pre-Flop. Going clockwise round the table, starting to the left of the player who placed the Big Blind bet, everyone either “checks” (puts in chips to equal everyone elses stake), “raises” (puts in equal chips plus a little extra) or “folds” (gives up). When the bet comes back round to the small blind he must add another small blind to check, he can still raise but if he folds he loses his small blind. The Big Blind better doesn’t have to check, folding would be pointless but he can still raise. If the player raises then the bet goes all the way around again until everyone has paid an equal amount into the pot or have left the game.
The dealer then deals a “flop”. These are 3 cards dealt face up onto the table. Each player has to try and make the best hand using both their hole cards and the flop cards. Starting from the original Big Blind player, another round of betting ensues. At this point, if a player decides to fold they will lose all the money put into the pot thus far. Once this round of betting is finished a fourth card is added to the flop. Again the players combine their hole cards to the cards on the table for the best hand and another round of betting takes place. A fifth, and final, card is placed on the table. The players now all know what the best hand they can get will be and there is a final round of betting. If all but one player folds then the remaining player takes the entire pot. The other players don’t get to see his hole cards. If there are two or more players left at the end then there is a showdown.
All remaining players have to show their cards and the player with the best 5 card hand out of their hole cards and the five on the table wins the pot. If there is a draw the pot is shared. In the case where two hands are nearly equal, the other unused cards can be used to decide the winner. Once the pot is won, the dealer or token move to the left and the hand starts over.
Winning is not all about having the best hand. Since everyone can see the cards on the table, but not your hole cards then if you don’t have the best hand then there is no way of the others knowing this. You win a hand with absolutely nothing as long as everyone else believes that you have something great. There is also the risk of someone “calling your bluff” in which case you’re rumbled. The trick is in knowing when to play your hand, when to bluff and when to fold and fight another day. Playing face to face is a different experience as people can give things away with “tells”, little signs like tics, sweating, blushing which show that they are trying to bluff you. Online you can only base it on the person’s betting choices. Be careful when betting not to appear over-confident or everyone will fold and you will end up with next to nothing.
The best hands in descending order:-
Royal Flush - This is 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace all of the same suit.
Straight Flush - Any 5 cards of the same suit in order such as 2,3,4,5,6. The higher the final card the higher the rank so 2,3,4,5,6 is less than 3,4,5,6,7.
Four Of Kind - All four of any card such as 4 queens, 4 sixes and so on.
Full House - Three of any one card and a pair of another. 3 Kings and 2 Aces.
Flush - Any 5 cards of the same suit but not in any order.
Straight - Any 5 cards in sequence but not of the same suit. EG 2,3,4,5,6 but mixed suits.
Three of a Kind - Any three of the same card such as 3 kings.
Two Pair - Any two pairs or cards such as 2 Aces and 2 sixes.
Pair - Any two card of the same value such as 2 kings.
High Card - The worst possible hand. Nothing at all. Can only win if the other players have nothing either in which case it is settled by whoever has the highest card.
