Ok quick sidenote with all the Texas Hold 'Em on TV how the hell is there no
definition for it yet on here? Oh well, I guess I get the honors!
Texas Hold 'Em is a type of poker game that can be played with 2-10 players. The dealer can either be a designated dealer who does not play or the dealer can be a
player. Texas Hold 'Em is called a community game which means that there are community cards that everyone who has bet or checked into the hand can use. It can be played with either a limit or with no limit, the later of the 2 being the one you'll see on TV.
Texas Hold 'Em follows the poker set of winning cards: high card, pair, 2 pair, 3 of a kind, straight, flush, full house, 4 of a kind, straight flush, Royal Flush.
Texas Hold 'Em is played with a set of rules which may vary in some cases. The cards are dealt either to the left of the dealer or to the left of the button which is used in designated dealer games. There is then a round of betting after which the dealer burns, or discards a card, and shows 3 cards face up on the table which is called the
flop. Another round of betting happens after this and then the dealer discards another card and shows another card face up called the turn. This same process is repeated and the last card is called the
river. A final round of betting follows and players still in the hand reveal their hands to see who wins the pot.
In almost all poker games Texas Hold 'Em has a system of how to play your hand. During the betting periods a person can fold, or give up, their hand; they can call, or equal the previous bet or raise; they can raise or put additional
money into their bet; they can check if they are on the big blind (that comes later) or if everyone before them has checked; after the flop, turn or
river they can bet and lastly they can go all-in and risk all of their chips.
There are also some additional rules to the game. With antes everyone contributes the same number of chips to the pot but with blinds the 2
people either to the left of the dealer in a dealer-plays game or to the left of the button in a designated dealer game put in blinds. The person closest to the button or dealer puts in the small blind and the person to their left puts in the big blind which is the starting bet. The person who puts in the big blind is the last person to act on their hand in all rounds of betting and can initially check on the big blind. The person who puts in the small blind can call the big blind and puts in chips equal to the amount of the big blind which includes the
money they already put in with the blind. In the case that 2 players come out with the same exact winning hand there is a split pot in which both players receive exactly half of the chips or
money in the pot. In the case that 2 players both have something like a full house or flush a high-card dominant standard is used. If a
player is forced to go all in yet other
people who still have
money to bet want to put in addition
money then a side pot is started which the all-in person can not win; this is done with each person who is all-in with other players who wish to bet more chips. A
player is eliminated from the game when they have no more
money or chips left.
