Tue, 07/26/2011 – 11:50 – PokerPages Staff

Once you’ve had a quick look at the PokerStarssoftware, you may well be wondering about the intricacies of Texas Hold‘em. This community card game is the most popular poker game in the world, played by millions of enthusiasts. Texas Hold’em is also a great game for a beginner poker player to learn poker rules.

Community Cards

The idea behind Texas Hold‘em is to make the best five-card poker handpossible by combining the two hole cards dealt to you with the five community cards laid out on the table. The cards are dealt in three phases with betting rounds taking place after each phase. Players can combine any of the seven available cards to make a hand. They may use one, two or even none of their hole cards in conjunction with the community cards.

Betting Rounds

Before any cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer must place their a bets, known as the blinds, this is to ensure that there is some money on the table when the game commences. After the hole cards are dealt, there is a round of betting, where each player will either need to call, and match the bet placed by the previous player, or fold, and declare himself or herself out of the hand. Further rounds of betting follow the dealing of the first three community cards, known as the flop, the fourth card, known as the turn, and the final card, which is known as the river. 

The Showdown

After all four rounds of betting have been completed, if more than one player remains in the game, there is a showdown. At this point, all remaining players must show their hands, and the player with the highest hand in the game wins the pot. 

Want to learn more? PokerSchoolOnline is the Internet’s #1 source for poker related learning.