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How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker | LeoVegas Casino

How To Play Texas Hold Em: The Complete Guide for Beginners and Beyond

The game is hailed as the most accessible in all of poker, and while it is intuitive, it’s always best to learn how to play Texas hold ’em poker before placing any bets. Understanding the basic rules of Texas Hold'em is crucial as it lays the groundwork for more advanced strategies and gameplay. Here, we’ll be running you through all of the terms, stages, and even strategies for the classic card game. We’ll begin with the basics and build you up to the more advanced gameplay techniques. Without any further ado, here’s your complete guide to playing Texas hold ’em poker.

Table of Contents:

What is Texas Hold'em Poker?

Poker is likely to be the most popular and most-played casino table game in the world, and the version most people think of when they hear the word poker is Texas Hold'em. While there are many specific variants of poker across different regions and cultures, Texas Hold'em is seen as something of a global standard, and if there's a casino offering poker anywhere in the world, there's a high chance they'll at least offer it if nothing else.

There are multiple claims about where the variant was created, although the Texas authorities give the title officially to Robstown, Texas. Exact dates are also hard to come by, but it is thought to be around 100 years old at this point. Reaching Vegas in the 1960s, was the main event of the nascent World Series of Poker and that is still true today.

Understanding the Basics

Objective of the Game

The objective of Texas hold ’em poker is to have the winning hand at the table by combining your two hand cards with any selection of the community cards dealt in the middle.

Number of Players and Setup

Texas hold ’em poker can be played with as few as two players, but it’s best with at least four to start with. Once seated, the dealer is picked, blinds go down, and each player is dealt two cards to form their hand. The action begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer button or the small blind, who has the first opportunity to act during each betting round.

The Standard 52-Card Deck

With the exception of some alternative ways to play, Texas hold ’em poker is played with a standard 52-card deck. That means there’s one of each card value in each suit in play, and the jokers are removed.

Poker Hand Rankings (From High to Low)

There is a clear hierarchy of Texas hold ’em poker hand rankings, which is (from high to low) as follows: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, High Card.

When multiple players have hands with the same rank, the pot is split among those players with identical hands.

Game Structure and Table Layout

The Dealer Button and Blinds

At the start of each round, a player will be given the Dealer Button. The player immediately to their left will place the obligatory small blind as a forced bet prior to the deal, with the player to their left placing a big blind.

Position at the Table: Early, Middle, Late

Table positions in Texas hold’em poker are split into three zones. In a nine-player game, for example, the three to the left of the Dealer are Early, the next three are in the Middle Positions, and the last two with the Dealer are in Late Position.

Table Limits: No Limit, Pot Limit, Fixed Limit

In poker, table limits place restrictions, or indicate the lack of restrictions, on bet sizing. No Limit, naturally, means that players can bet whatever amounts and raise as many times as they want. Pot Limit games let you raise to the size of the pot. In Fixed Limit poker games, the amount that you can bet is predetermined by the table.

The Texas Hold’em Game Flow

Pre-Flop: The Starting Hand and Initial Bets

To begin the game of Texas hold’em poker, the preflop betting round sees the blinds placed, every player dealt two cards, and the first round of betting run through.

The Flop: First Three Community Cards

After the first round of betting, The Flop sees the dealer burn a card and then place three community cards dealt face up, ensuing another round of betting.

The Turn: Fourth Community Card

The Turn, also known as the fourth street, adds another community card from the deck, after a burn, and allows for another round of betting.

The River: Fifth and Final Community Card

In the final part of a game of Texas hold’em poker, the dealer places the fifth community card, also known as the final card, to complete The River. After this, players get one more chance to bet before the winner is determined.

Showdown: Determining the Winner

With all bets placed and more than one player still left in the game, the remaining players reveal their hands in the Showdown, with the winner taking the pot or winners splitting the pot.

Texas Hold'em Poker Odds and Payouts

For a standard hold 'em game, these are the chances of each one appearing in a hand. Remember that in standard poker games, there are no guaranteed payouts as the bet sizes are determined by other players. The payouts listed are for single-player poker games played against an automated dealer:

  • High card - 50% - Push
  • Pair - 42% - Push
  • Two pair - 4.7% - Push
  • Three-of-a-kind - 2.1% - Push
  • Straight - 0.39% - 1:1
  • Flush - 0.19% - 3:2
  • Full house - 0.14% - 3:1
  • Four-of-a-kind - 0.02% - 10:1
  • Straight flush - 0.002% - 50:1
  • Royal flush - 0.0003% - 500:1

Key Poker Actions and Terms

Call, Raise, Fold, and Check Explained

With cards in your hand and the turn on you, you’ll have up to four choices to make. If you Call, you place a bet that matches the amount of the previous bet made by another player. A Raise will see you meet that Call and increase the bet higher. If you Fold, you pass your cards to the dealer facedown and bow out of the game.

Checking is a circumstantial call. If there isn’t an active bet higher than your current bet, you can check to pass to the next player. This could give you the chance to call, raise, or fold if the action comes back around. However, if all players check, it goes to the next round.

All-in and Side Pots

Player bets all their chips when going all-in, pushing their stacks to the middle of the table. If doing this when short on the required bet, it creates a Side Pot, which caps how much you can win in the round to the size of your bet.

Bluffing and Semi-Bluffing

Bluffing is what a player does when they have a bad hand but bet as though they have a good one. Semi-bluffing is betting with a hand that’s not in a winning position yet, but could be in later turns.

The Concept of the Nuts

You have “The Nuts” if you have the best possible hand at the table – when factoring in the community cards – and can’t possibly lose to another combination.

Starting Hand Strategy

Categorizing Starting Hands: Premium, Strong, Speculative, and Trash

The outright Premium Hands that every Texas hold’em player wants are Pair Ace, King, Queen, or Jack. Strong Hands include combinations of any high cards from Ace to Nine, Pair Ten, Pair Nine, and Pair Eight.

Speculative Hands start with Pair Sevens, all of the Ace combinations from Ace-Nine to Ace-Two, and some high card combinations where the suits don’t match, like a King-Jack. Additionally, hands that can potentially form 'two pairs' such as a King-Ten or Queen-Nine are also considered speculative. Below Pair Six and Pair Five, you’re getting very speculative.

Some would say that the Trash Hands pile begins with Pair Four, Pair Three, and Pair Two, and it’s quite unlikely that you’ll get anywhere with combinations of Four-Two, Three-Two, Seven-Four, Eight-Five, or non-matching high cards with a Nine or Eight.

Positional Strategy for Starting Hands

You position at the table in Texas hold’em poker matters for your starting hand. If you have a Premium to Strong hand, you’ll get to play it from anywhere, but Speculative Hands really rely on Middle or Late Position to work due to how betting tends to escalate around the table.

Suited Connectors, Pocket Pairs, and More

The best position you can be in from the deal is to be given Suited Connectors or Pocket Pairs. Suited Connectors are consecutive cards of the same suit, while Pocket Pairs are two of the same card. An Ace in the Hole – which is to start with an Ace – means that you have at least a Speculative Hand.

Common Mistakes with Starting Hands

Many beginners think that a Pair is good regardless. If it’s below Pair Five, it’s likely not very good unless you’re in a Late Position, and even then, only Pair Sevens and up can be considered a Strong Hand.

Betting Strategies and Game Theory

Types of Bets: Value Bets, Bluffs, Continuation Bets

When you think you’ve got the best hand, you’ll try to bleed as many chips from others as you can with Value Bets, making raises that’re just enough to coax more action. Bluff bets are when you’re betting hoping others won’t follow because your hand is poor. Finally, Continuation Bets occur when you raise Pre-Flop and then bet on The Flop. Betting continues until all active participants have matched the highest bet or raise.

Pot Odds and Implied Odds

Pot Odds are a way of calculating, based on the pot size and the betting structure, whether it’s worth calling a bet. Implied Odds in Texas hold’em poker consider the potential for winning in the next round and the pot size if others continue to bet.

Expected Value (EV) in Decision Making

The Expected Value equation should be used on every call so that you can make the best play and maximise your returns in each game. The equation is [Win Probability x Winnings] + [Loss Probability x Loses].

GTO (Game Theory Optimal) vs Exploitative Play

GTO is, in theory, the perfect way to play every hand to maximize your potential returns, but it’s exceedingly difficult to put into practice in table games due to the variables involved. Exploitative Play is all about spotting an opponent’s weakness, often through tells or in Showdowns, and then attacking them with your betting strategy.

Reading the Table

Reading Opponents: Betting Patterns and Tells

Many players can’t help but give away physical or verbal tells when they have a good or bad hand, and even if they don’t the way they bet beforehand can tell you a lot for future rounds.

Board Texture and How it Affects Hand Strength

Board Texture in poker refers to how the three community cards from The Flop can be used. A Dry Board leaves little for high-ranking hands, while a Wet Board will feature three cards that can link to the likes of a Flush, Straight, or Three of a Kind.

Playing the Player vs Playing the Cards

The old adage is that you play the cards you’re dealt, but this isn’t blackjack. In Texas hold’em poker, there’s an edge to be found in exploiting the weaknesses of other players.

Advanced Gameplay Techniques

3-Betting and 4-Betting Strategies

These betting strategies refer to when to raise after a raise, with 3-Betting being after a re-raise on the original bet and 4-Betting being if a raise occurs after that.

Floating and Check-Raising

You can make use of Floating by running a Continuous Bet with a weak hand, but it’s best to only do so in a heads-up pot or one-vs-one situation. Check-Raising is when you deceive others by checking on your turn but then raising should someone else do so and the action comes back to you.

Slow Playing vs Fast Playing a Monster

The speed of your plays can allow you to give your opponents a distinct impression of your hand. Fast plays could mean a clear path to victory or a clear bluff, while slow plays imply the need to consider your options.

Playing in Multi-Way Pots

With three or more players in for the pot, the more variables make assessing your options and optimal plays more difficult. However, it’s in these situations that a stronger Position can be better leveraged. If all other players fold, the remaining player wins the pot without having to reveal their cards.

Bankroll Management and Risk Control

Understanding Variance

Variance looks at the randomness of the game and how it influences the positive or negative returns on your expected win ratio over the course of a whole game.

Setting Limits and Stop Losses

The key to your longevity at the table is setting bet sizes based on the strength of your hand and how its value changes as the community cards are revealed. Plus, you can always stop a larger loss by folding.

Tracking Wins and Losses

By tracking your wins and losses, you can identify where your poker strategy is doing well and where the cracks are emerging.

Playing Within Your Bankroll

As with any gambling game, be it Texas hold ’em poker or online slots, you should set your bankroll and stick to it.

Types of Texas Hold’em Games

Cash Games

No limit hold'em cash games have you exchange real money for chips that represent that cash value.

Sit & Go Tournaments

In Sit & Go Tournaments each player pays a set fee to get a set number of chips. Usually, the final few get a tournament payout.

Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)

As the name suggests, Multi-Table Tournaments, also known as poker tournaments, involve multiple tables of players, from which a select few or just the winner will then meet the other winners on a final table.

Heads-Up Hold’em

Heads-Up Hold’em is the form of poker that you can play at the live casino, where you take on the dealer.

Online vs Live Poker

Key Differences in Pace, Reads, and Style

Online - where the game is usually played with more pace - without anyone watching you, you can be as emotive, play at whatever pace you want, and even take notes on other players. In live poker, you truly have to have a poker face, a good read, and leverage your style.

Advantages and Challenges of Online Poker

While you don’t have to hide your emotions online, you also can’t read anyone else’s tells, which offers an advantage to some and a greater challenge to others.

Live Poker Etiquette and Protocol

In general, the rules of etiquette and protocol at a live poker are to treat others politely, be sportsmanlike, don’t discuss your hand, don’t splash chips onto the table, and try not to drag out the game anymore that you have to.

Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo

In Omaha Hi-Lo, players get four cards and can use two of them to make the best five-card poker hand and the best five-card low-ranking hand. Omaha poker is focussed on just getting the best hand possible.

Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple

Pineapple poker gets players three hole cards, from which, one’s discarded before The Flop. In Crazy Pineapple poker the discarding comes after The Flop and its betting round.

Short Deck Hold’em (6+ Hold’em)

Six Plus Hold’em or Short Deck Hold’em is played with a deck of just 36 cards, in which only Sixes and higher are in play.

Texas Hold'em Poker FAQs

How do you play Texas Hold'em poker for beginners?

Unlike games like blackjack, Texas Hold'em isn't a 'pick-up-and-play' game and does require some research and learning before you start, even if it's just to learn the hand values. To really get involved in the whole Texas Hold 'em game, though, it is best to do some basic reading on starting hands and a little psychology. Playing the game as video poker or in other single-player versions can also help to get used to the fundamentals.

Is Texas Hold'em luck or skill?

Poker has maintained popularity compared to things like slots and blackjack because it has a heavy skill element to it. While luck does play a big role and major surprises do happen often, even in pro games, many elements of the game can be managed by the players to get the best possible results. With that said, even the most experienced professional players can easily be caught out by unlikely results

How long does it take to learn Texas Hold'em?

Poker is a game that is famously easy to learn but difficult to master. Learning the basics, at least enough to get started, takes a relatively short time. Learning enough to get a decent number of wins though, especially when playing with experienced players, can take months or even years to do. In the end, it's all about how much time you want to invest in it.

How is Texas Hold'em different from regular poker?

The other main kind of poker, and the one that predated Texas Hold'em, is known as draw poker. The main difference is that in draw poker, all cards are dealt at the start and there are only two total rounds of betting. It's popular in casual games but unlikely to be found in modern casinos.

There are also three-card variants of poker that work in the same basic manner except that the range of possible hands is much smaller. Also, stud poker is a different model that uses face-down cards during the rounds.

What are the rules of Texas Hold'em?

Texas Hold'em rules dictate that all players must pick one of seven cards, five of the five community cards and two of the hole cards. Player options may include checking, calling, raising, or folding the odds. Betting rounds occur before flops are made, and each successive transaction follows.

Is Texas Hold'em poker luck or skill?

Texas Hold'em poker is a game that requires both luck and skill. While the card distribution is completely random, player decisions can affect the game outcome. A good understanding of the odds and bankroll management can help win the pot more long-term.

Why is poker called Texas Hold'em?

It is quite simple. "Hold'em" refers to the rule that you can only play with your initial cards, and don't draw more like in other poker variations. "Texas", as you might have already guessed, refers to the place of origin, which is officially Robstown, Texas.

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