ONLINE POKER guide

Texas Hold'em poker is definately the best poker game for a beginner. Other poker games like Omaha High or 7 card stud are more complicated to play. Texas Hold'em Poker is fairly easy to learn and play but like all games, the more you practice, the better you become!

How to play Texas Hold'em poker:

• The betting structure can vary. Most times antes are used, but some games start with 2 players to the left of the dealer placing out a predetermined amount of money so there is an initial amount to get things started. This is called posting the blinds.
• The dealer shuffles up a deck of 52 cards.
• Each player is dealt 2 cards face down. These are called your hole or pocket cards.
• Then there is a round of betting starting with the player to the left of the 2 who posted the blinds. This round is usually referred to as the pre-flop.
• After the betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn card. This is done to prevent cheating.
• The dealer then flips the next 3 cards face up on the table. These cards are called the flop. These are community cards that anyone can use in combination with their 2 pocket cards to form a poker hand.
• There is another round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
• After the betting concludes, the dealer burns another card and flips 1 more onto the table. This is called the turn card. Players can use this 6th card now to form a 5 card poker hand.
• The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting. In many types of games, this is where the bet size doubles.
• Then, the dealer burns a card and places a final card face up on the table. This is called the river. Players can now use any of the 5 cards on the table or the 2 cards in their pocket to form a 5 card poker hand.
• There is one final round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
• Afterwards, all of the players remaining in the game begin to reveal their hands. This begins with the player to the left of the last player to call. It's called the showdown. Players use a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards to form a poker hand.
• The player who shows the best hand wins! There are cases where players with equal hands share the winnings.

Texas Hold em is easy to learn, but difficult to master. The "mastering" part is the costly part, especially in the traditional setting of a casino poker room. Thankfully, you can practice all you want for free in online poker rooms. The only way to learn the game is to play.

Texas Holdem Rules

Pre-Flop Strategy in Texas Holdem:

Before you start betting you need to consider carefully all the factors involved in pre-flop. These are the number of players playing, how aggressive or passive the players at the table are, your bankroll, your position, and how much risk you are willing to take.

Number of players:
With 10 people in the game, it's much more likely that someone else has a strong hand in the pocket than in a short-handed game. Also, you'll need to be more farefull in larger games, as the chances of someone's pre-flop hand fitting the flop will be much better. More competition means stiffer competition.

How aggressive the players are:
Assuming you have been playing with a few people for several hands, and you noticed that a player is raising every hand pre-flop, you'll want to play tighter. Let the player win the blinds and get him when you have a solid hand in the pocket pre-flop.

Your bankroll:
If you have $3 left, you'll want to play extremely carefully and select one hand to bet on, hoping to get as many players involved as possible for a larger pot. You'll want to be all-in before the flop is dealt. On the flip-side, if you have $3000 at a $1/$2 table, you can take the high-risk, high-payout bets.

Your position:
People in late position have the ability to influence the size of the pot much more than those in early position. This is especially true pre-flop.

Your tolerance for risk:
Depending on your playing style, you may want to play more or less aggressively pre-flop. Players who go for larger pots, but don't mind a greater chance for losing a few hands will want to raise pre-flop, especially if they are in late position. Some players prefer to be as selective as possible pre-flop, getting a winning hand now and again.

You also need to consider what cards you have in your hand. Naturally, Ace Ace is the best to start with. It helps if your hand is suited or if the cards are in sequential order like a 6 and an 7. It is important to understand how your 2 cards hold up against other combinations of cards.