Texas Holdem Basics
Texas Holdem is by far the most common form of poker played today. Besides being popular, Texas Holdem is also the best poker game for a beginner to learn. The basics can be learned in a few minutes. And after just a few hours of practice, you can be playing fairly well against other beginners. But to really get good you must play often and against better players.
Texas Holdem is played the same way in the casino, online casinos and in your home with your pals.
Texas Holdem is played in the following manner:
1. Betting structures can vary. In Texas Holdem rarely are antes used. Most Texas Holdem games start with first two players on the dealers left placing predetermined bets. These players are called the small and large blind, and their bets are called posting the blinds.
2. Each player receives 2 cards face down. These cards are called you pocket cards and they are the only cards that are unique to you.
3. After each player is dealt their hole cards a round of betting takes place starting with the player to the left of the 2 blinds this round of betting is called the pre-flop. Just like in any other poker game a player can call raise of fold during their turn.
4. After the Pre-Flop round is over the dealer will remove the top card from the deck and discard it, this is called the Burn Card. This is done to make sure that no cheating is done. The dealer will then turn over 3 cards in the center of the table. This round is called the Flop. Any player may use any of these cards to make the best 5 card hand possible, but you are not allowed to actually touch the cards, each player can use the same cards if it help them, this is why your hole cards are so important.
5. As with the pre-flop there is now another round of betting, it is at this point you will start to see players folding.
6. After the betting is over, the dealer will burn another card, then deal the fourth of the communal cards. This card is called the Turn card
7. Again another round of betting begins and now is when you will start to see the size of the pot really grow.
8. One last time the dealer burns the top card before turning over the last card of the game, called the River card. Players now have all 5 of the communal cards and their own hole card to make the best 5 card hand.
9. One last chance is given to raise the bets or get out of the game. After this each player still in the game will show their cards. This is called the Showdown. The player with the best hand is declared the winner and wins the pot.
Opening Hands: Best-Worst
The basic poker lesson is when to hold and when to fold. Knowing whether your initial deal is worth staying in the game or if you should call it a day, is one of the most important decisions to make at the beginning of the poker game. One of the most common beginner's mistakes is holding onto the worst pair of hole cards instead of folding and protecting your money.
Therefore, if you are a novice poker player, one of the first things you should memorize is which initial hands are worth holding and which hands leaves you no choice but to fold. Since Texas Holdem is the most popular poker variation, here you can find lists of the best and the worth Holdem poker starting hands.
Best Poker Hands
If you are lucky to be dealt one of these initial hands, you are definitely having an excellent beginning:
Pair of Aces: as known as American Airlines or pocket rockets, it is the best possible Texas Holdem starting hand.
Pair of Kings: not as good as a pair of Aces but still an excellent way to open a game of Texas Holdem.
Pair of Queens: if you want to look at the bright side, you will be beaten only by Kings and Aces.
Ace and King: if they are of the same suit, your condition is even better, since you can form the nut flush at ease.
Pair of Jacks: unless the flop shows either a Queen, King or an Ace, you have decent chances of winning with this promising starting hand.
Ace and Queen: the same as Ace and King, a suited hand would increase your chances of stepping out as a winner.
King and Queen: unless the community cards contain an Ace, you are in a good shape with this starting hand and even better if it is suite.
Ace and Jack: even if appears unsuited, this starting hand is still worth holding.
King and Jack: still one of the best Texas Holdem starting hands, but be careful with it, especially when unsuited.
Ace and Ten: the Ace upgrades it to a pretty good hand, although requires a cautious play since it can be beaten by any of the starting hands mentioned above.
Worst Poker Hands
These hands would suit you well if you play some of the lowball variations, but if you play traditional Texas Holdem poker, the best advice would be to fold.
2 and 7: if you are dealt this hand, especially unsuited, you cannot even make a straight. Even if suited you should be so lucky to form a low flush or the lowest pair. In one word: fold.
2 and 8: same as the previous hand; pair of 8s is still a low pair.
3 and 7: although it can beat the previous hands, it still a worthless pair of cards
3 and 8: again, hardly even a low straight.
2 and 6: only if the community cards will feature 3, 4 and 5, you will have a chance of forming a straight. However, do not count on it, especially if there are more than 3 attendances in the game.
2 and 9: thanks to the presence of the 9 you are in better shape than with the former hands, still you cannot form a straight and even a pair of 9s would be beaten by pairs of 10s, Jacks, Queens, etc.
3 and 9: the same thing: higher than 8 lower than almost any other hand.
4 and 9: as mentioned above; foldem.
2 and 10: even though Doyle Brunson had won two WSOP bracelets with this starting hand, unless you have the talent and experience of Brunson, do not hold this hand.
5 and 9: also known as Dolly Parton, this hand would get you nowhere near the final table.
Now that you know the basic order of the game you are ready to start playing Texas Holdem. Holdem is a simple game to learn but if hard to master. This is the part that will take you many hand and many dollars, but if you put in the time you will be rewarded for it.
