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Big Stack University Tips – How to play Texas Hold’em?

Texas Hold’em is arguably the most famous of all poker games. If you are new to the game of poker, Texas Hold’em Poker is a great place to start. Texas Hold’em Poker is a community card game that can be played anywhere from 2-10 players. Today, you can look at the most simple rules to playing Texas Hold’em coming to you exclusively from Big Stack University.

TEXAS HOLD’EM RULES:

1. One player acts as a dealer. This position is called the button and it rotates clockwise after every hand.
2. The two players to the left of the dealer are called the small blind and the big blind, respectively.
3. These two positions require forced bets of a pre-determined amount and are the only players to put money in the pot before the cards are dealt (if no ante in place).
4. Every player then receives two cards face down. These are called “hole” cards.
5. Once all hole cards have been dealt, the first betting round begins with the player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind. This player can fold, call (match the amount of the big blind) or raise.
6. Betting then continues clockwise, with each player having the option to fold, call the amount of the highest bet before them, bet or raise.
7. When the first betting round is completed, three community cards are flipped face-up on the table. This is called the flop.
8. The betting resumes, clockwise, with each player having the option to check (if no bet is in front of them), bet (or raise if a bet is before them), call or fold.
9. When the second round of betting is finished, a fourth community card is flipped face-up on the table. This is called the turn.
10. The third round of betting commences with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the button.
11. When the third round of betting is over, a fifth community card is flipped face-up on the table. This is called the river.
12. The fourth round of betting starts with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting continues to move clockwise.

Watch video lesson on how to play Texas Hold’em Poker here.

The Details

In Hold’em the game revolves around the dealer, it doesn’t matter which person is dealing or you dedicate a dealer like a casino. A dealer button moves one seat to the left after each hand, it determines who acts first in the next betting round. Every hand starts with two mandatory bets called blinds being posted by the players to the left of the dealer. The player directly to the left of the dealer is the small blind and the players to the left of that are the big blind.

Next comes the deal. Each player receives two hole cards and the action begins with the player to the left of the big blind, “under the gun,” clockwise. The Player has the option of folding, calling the big blind, or raising. If no one has raised before the action gets to the big blind they have an option of either checking or raising.

If more than one player is still in the hand after this round, the dealer deals the flops ‘three of the five community cards’. After the flop betting round ends, a single community card (called the turn or fourth street) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final single community card (called the river or fifth street) is then dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.

The Showdown

All players still in, turn up their hands and pot is rewarded to the player with the highest rank hand. Before diving straight to the game, are you familiar with the hand rankings? Don’t worry, here are the poker hand rankings to help you excel in the game.

1. Royal Flush 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace all in the same suit.
2. Straight Flush Five cards in a row, all in the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind The same card in each of the four suits.
4. Full House A pair plus three of a kind in the same hand.
5. Flush Five cards, all in one suit, but not in numerical order.
6. Straight Five cards in numerical order, but not of the same suit.
7. Three of a Kind Three of one card and two non-paired cards.
8. Two Pair Two different pairings or sets of the same card in one hand.
9. One Pair One pairing of the same card.
10. High Card No matching cards.

If you are a poker enthusiast and want to master the game, learn it here.

If you’re looking forward to more such tips and tricks form Big Stack University to improve your game, make sure you stay tuned to GutshotMagazine.com.

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