Texas Holdem Rules
March 18th, 2009Before you buy a poker table and begin playing Texas holdem, you need to know the basic rules of the game. This will help you keep yourself oriented so that you can play better. Texas holdem may be different from the poker you’ve played before, so you might need to play a few hands before you start feeling comfortable.
Dealing Cards for Texas Holdem
The dealer gives two face-down hole cards to each player. These are the only cards that the players will hold in the whole game.
The dealer then lays five cards face down on the table. These are community cards that players will use to make a hand with their hole cards.
There is a round of betting and the dealer flips over the first three cards on the table, called the flop. There is another round of betting before the dealer flips over the fourth card, which is called the turn.
The dealer turns the final card, known as the river, after another round of betting. And then, a final round of betting.
The Blinds
According to the Texas Holdem rules, the two players to the dealer’s left are the blinds. There is a small blind, also called the first blind, and the big blind, which is sometimes called the second blind. These are predetermined bets that the players must post.
The amounts should be determined before you start playing. Regardless of what the big blind is, the small blind will usually be half of that amount. If you are playing a tournament, then the blinds would grow as the game progresses. You should determine when the blinds will increase before you begin to play.
The Dealer
Since the dealer has to move so that the blinds will move around the table, even casinos use a dealer button that designates a certain player as the dealer. If you are playing without a designated dealer, then the players will deal themselves.
The dealer button moves one person to the left after each hand is finished. This means that you will have the button once every ten poker hands or so. It gives you the advantage of acting last. But now we’re touching on strategy, and that’s another blog.