By Jeff Lakie
Texas Hold'em has become a very popular game.
If you don't know how to play, you are missing out
on an enjoyable pastime as well as some great
entertainment on television. Whether you want to
play Texas Hold'em with your friends for money,
or you want to understand what's going on in a
celebrity Texas Hold'em tournament, here's how
to play:
The ante: Each player antes money into the
middle. This is the money you pay in order to tell
the dealer you'd like to play this round.
The cards to each player: The dealer deals out
two cards face down to each person. When you
receive yours, check them out but don't show
them to anybody. If you are wondering what is a
good hand to play, a good rule of thumb is this: if
you got a hand that you'd be happy about in
blackjack, then you've probably got a decent hand
in Texas Hold'em. That's not a perfect rule, but it's
a good place to start. Another way people decide
if it's a good hand is if they get a pair or if they get
a face card with a second card. Either of these
hands, too, will make for a hand with some
potential. After everyone has received their first
two cards, there is a round of betting.
The cards in the center: The dealer deals out five
cards in the center: two cards face down and
three cards face up. This is called the flop.
Players look at the combination of cards in their
hand and cards in the flop to decide if they can
assemble a poker hand from it. There is a round
of betting.
The turn: The dealer turns up the fourth card.
This is called the turn. Again, players look at all
the cards available to decide if there is the
potential for a good hand. There is a round of
betting.
The river: Finally, the dealer turns out the fifth
card and now the players who are still in can
choose from any of the seven cards in front of
them (the 5 face-up and 2 face-down) to make the
best hand of five. There is a final round of betting.
The call: Players reveal their cards and the winner
takes the pot!
These rules are far from complete. However, you
did learn enough to play a decent game with your
friends or to give you a little more understanding
of what goes on at the Texas Hold'em tournament
on television.
Jeff Lakie is the founder of Poker Information a
website providing information on Poker
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
