Playing Texas Holdem:

Texas Holdem is the most popular poker game in the United States and probably in the whole world. In fact, Texas Holdem is just a community poker, like many other games, but most players find this community poker version more interesting that the other ones.

A Texas Holdem game can be divided into four parts. Such division is determined by four betting rounds that follow each part. These parts also have names: the Pre Flop, the Flop, the Turn and the River.

The Pre Flop

Each player receives two face-down cards. And the first betting round occurs. Texas Holdem is played with blind bets, which form an integral part of the game and never are avoided in professional games. Blind bets are bets that players must make regardless of their cards. A player who has to make a blind bet can not perform any other betting action. The sizes of blind bets are determined by the table rules or by the dealer at the beginning of each game.

The first player to the left of the dealer makes the small blind bet and the next player in the clockwise direction makes the big bet. The small blind usually is equal to the table minimum limit or slightly lower than it. The big blind is twice bigger than the small one. According to Texas Holdem etiquette, players ho make blind bets can not look at their cards before they make them. Normally, these players place their blinds before the cards are even dealt or during the dealing to not delay the game.

The player sitting to the left of the one who made the big blind starts normal betting with an option to fold, bet or raise. Note that the big blind bet is the bet in play, just if the first player bet the small blind amount and the second player raised to the big blind amount. Therefore players can not call, but have to face the big blind or fold, and when the betting round reaches the player who made the small blind he acts exactly like if he bet in the previous round and someone after him raised his bet.

The player who makes the big blind is given a privilege that is supposed to compensate the disadvantage of his position. This player is allowed to raise and continue betting round even if nobody has raised the blind bet he made. If the blind he made was a regular bet, the betting round would end up in such situation.

The Flop

The three first community cards are dealt from the top of the deck to the center of the table and the second betting round occurs. In the second betting round, there is no big blind. The round is opened by the small blind and proceeds like a standard poker betting round.

The Turn

Another card from the top of the deck if flipped over and placed face-up next to the three community cards dealt at the Flop, and the third betting round (completely equal to the second one) occurs.

The River

The fifth and the final community card is dealt face-up to the center of the table. The final round takes place in the same manner as the second and the third ones. Now players decide what community cards and what hole cards they want to use in their final five card hand and reveal these cards. Player can use both, one or none of the hole cards. The latter case is called Playing the Board, and logically is the less promising variant. However, if all players left in the game decide to play the board, the winner can not be determined and the pot is split between these players.