poker school
lesson One: how to play texas hold'em
Welcome to your first lesson at BurnandTurn.com poker school. This lesson is going to illustrate the set up and basic play of today's most popular poker game: Texas Hold'em. This section is broken down into seven parts:
- The button
- The blinds
- Hole cards
- First round of betting
- Second round of betting
- Third round of betting
- The final betting round
1) THE BUTTON: WHO IS THE DEALER
The button is used to indicate who the theoretical dealer would be in each hand. If there is an assigned dealer the players sit still while the dealer moves the button one spot to the left after each hand, and deals. The dealer has a distinct advantage in each round of betting, because that player has the most information available when it is time to bet, compared to the players who had to act first. The button ensures that each player will be in the favorable betting position once in each round. The button is also significant because it determines the order of play for each round. The player to the left of the button will always start and the player on the button will always be the last player to bet.
2) THE BLINDS
There are two blinds used in Hold'em they are the "small" and the "big". Before the first cards are dealt and before the first round of betting takes place, the first two players to the left of the button, will post the blinds. The first player to the left of the button is the small blind, which is usually set at half the amount (but not always) of the big blind. The blinds are determined by the size of the game. For example, in a $10-$20 game of Hold'em all bets and raises during the first two rounds are made in $10 increments, and in the final two rounds of betting all bets and raises have to be made in $20 increments.
3) POCKET CARDS
Once the blinds have been posted, the dealer deals two cards to each player. They are dealt facedown one at a time. The first two cards that are dealt to you are called the "pocket cards". As soon as you receive these cards you should begin to evaluate the strength of your hand.
4) FIRST ROUND OF BETTING
The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. This is because the two players that represent the blinds have already posted bets, the player sitting to the left of the big blind is the first player who will face an important decision, and has a choice to either, call the bet (matching the big blind), raise the bet, or fold the hand. This procedure is the same for all remaining players until the action in the first round is complete. This would then be the end of the first round. Also, the two players in the blinds have the option to raise the bet when it is their turn. If the players in the blinds decide to raise the bet, the betting will then go around again and the remaining players will have the option of calling or folding. The betting in the first round is a minimum bet of the small blind.
5) SECOND ROUND OF BETTING
This round begins with the dealer flipping three "community cards" face up into the middle of the table for everyone to look at. These three cards are known as the "flop". The "flop" is significant to the players because it will determine whether or not their hand is strong enough to continue on. With the blinds only having an impact on the first round of betting, the action in the second round will begin with the first player still remaining to the left of the button. The player that begins the second round has three options: check (choosing not to bet now, but stays in the hand and can bet later), fold, or bet. If every player decides to check, the pot will stay as is and the second round is completed. However, if there is a raise, in order to continue playing this hand you will have to match the bet. The betting in the second round is a minimum bet of the small blind.
6) THIRD ROUND OF BETTTING
The third round begins with the dealer flipping up the fourth community card face up. This card is referred to as either the "turn" or "Fourth Street". The third round of betting begins with the player closest to the left of the button (or dealer) whose hand is still alive. The bets in this round are now increased and are a minimum bet matching the big blind.
7) FINAL BETTING ROUND
The dealer will begin the final round by flipping up the fifth and final community card face up. This card is referred to as either "the river" or "Fifth Street". With the five cards in the community plus the two pocket cards, each remaining player will settle on the best five cards out of the seven that are available to them, to make the best possible hand. Now the betting begins, and it is the same structure as in the previous rounds. When the betting is completed, the players remaining will flip up their two hole cards to determine who has the best hand, and who wins the pot. A player who has been beaten has the option to not show their hand to the rest of the table once they see a superior hand laid down in front of them.
Well that's a wrap for our first lesson. Be sure to keep on reading the remaining lessons as the more information you can absorb the better off you are going to be at the poker table. Our next lesson is going to introduce pre-flop strategies in Texas Hold'em.
good luck and enjoy your experiences at the poker tables
