What Is Texas Hold’em: Rules, Hands & Strategy Explained

What Is Texas Hold’em: Rules, Hands & Strategy Explained! Texas Hold’em which is played by the largest audience in the world. This is a game of luck, skill and what you bring to the table intellectwise. While luck does play a role, in the end it is the better players that come out on top. We have put together this complete Texas Hold’em poker guide for you.

In it, we will go over the basic Texas Hold’em rules, the hand rank you should know, and we will present to you some simple strategies that will put you in a winning position. Are you ready for this great game?

What is it about Texas Hold’em that makes it the most played poker game

Texas Hold’em is a game that has wide appeal yet at the same time is very in depth Texas Hold’em strategy wise. That is what makes it a star in both casino and home games. This guide is for all you knew and old players out there that wish to learn and improve at Texas Hold’em from basics to advanced.

We will focus our attention on No-Limit Texas Hold’em explained as that is the most popular version. You will go over the rules, learn Texas Hold’em hand rankings, and also see that it is really simple to get into online Texas Hold’em poker. Let’s get started.

Basic Rules of Texas Hold’em Poker

Don’t worry about the details now; the basic Texas Hold’em rules are very easy to learn. I will break down how to play Texas Hold’em into a very simple process. At the start each player is dealt two private cards, your hole cards which only you should see. Then the dealer puts out five community cards face up on the table, which are used by all. These are the only cards you use through the course of the game.

Use your 2 private cards in addition to the 5 community cards to put together the best 5 card poker hand. In the next section we’ll present the official Texas Hold’em hand rankings, but as a heads-up the higher the rank the better!

Here is a look at the steps of how to play Texas Hold’em:

• The Deal: You are dealt your two private cards.
• The Board: Five community cards are revealed in stages (Flop, Turn, River).
• The Goal: Form the best 5 card hand.

Understanding the Blinds and Betting Rounds

Pre-Flop, Floop (three community cards are dealt out), Turn (one more card is put out), and River (which sees the last card turned over). These stages are what play out the hand, which is why it is key to know them in Texas Hold’em.

Texas Hold’em Hand Rankings

Understanding of Texas Hold’em hand rankings is very important, actually it’s what that will tell you that you’ve got the best hand! In the end at the showdown, you present the best 5 card hand that you can out of the 2 in your hand and 5 community cards. Although you do not have to use your own cards, generally you will.

Order of rank goes from the best (Royal Flush that is a straight flush of 10 through Ace) to the lowest. By knowing these by heart also you determine which are the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em in the game before the community cards even come out.

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

Pre-Flop Strategy: Opening Hand Selection

Best starting hands in Texas Hold’em (for example pairs of Aces or Kings that rank high on the Texas Hold’em hand rankings) are worth fighting for, at the drop of a hat, but weak dissimilar cards are usually better off in the muck. Put out there hands which may win you the pot, always go for big pairs, or hands which have great potential like suited connectors. This focus is the key to winning at poker.

The Flop, Turn, and River: How the game goes out

Once pre-flop betting is over, the main action begins with the deal of the community cards. This is a key element in which you as a player figure out how to play Texas Hold’em. It goes in three phases which each include a betting round as per Texas Hold’em rules. First up is the Flop which sees three cards turned face up.

This is when most players assess what they have in terms of a hand. Then we have the Turn which is the four of a kind fourth card that really puts a different spin on things. Finally, in comes the River which is the fifth and last community card that sets in stone what your hand will be. After the River betting round, it’s game over at the showdown.

Betting Options: Go, Raise, Fold, and Check

Once a betting round commences in Texas Hold’em you have a set of four basic actions which you may perform, which is key to playing the game well. These four plays are based on Texas Hold’em betting rules of the game. Which you choose from them will determine if you stay in the hand, what you bet, and how you present your strength to other players a very basic element of what Texas Hold’em rules are about.

• Call: Place your present largest bet. You are happy with your hand’s value in relation to the pot odds.
• Raise: Increase your present bet size. This also represents strength or bluffing.
• Fold: Abandon your hand and give up the money which you have put in to play. This is the wise thing to do when you see you have no chance.
• Check: Pass on the action to the next player at which time no bet has been placed yet this round.

This is the shortest, but all about Texas Hold’em strategy.

Positional Play: What role Position plays in Texas Hold’em

In terms of which order you act in the pre-flop action, your position, that is the most important element of advanced Texas Hold’em strategy. What you do last speaks to your greatest information advantage in No-Limit Texas Hold’em explained, which is a basic tenet of the game. You get to see how the other players act before making your decision to Call, Raise, or Fold.

This difference causes a divide in how you play:

Bluffing and Reading Opponents

Poker is a mental game. Bluffing is the base of what makes Texas Hold’em strategy play out as it does, it is how you win hands without having the best cards in the board. Great bluffs are when you make them think you have a strong hand when really you do not.

Also, very important is to read in to your opponent’s “tells. In live Texas Hold’em play that may be a tell if they are chewing on their bottom lip or shrugging shoulders which is an indicator that they are holding a strong hand. In online Texas Hold’em poker, which is what we are seeing, more and more of that physical play is replaced with digital tells such as bet size and time between bets.

For example, a large delay before a small bet may in fact be an indicator of a weak hand thus giving you a chance to put them into a bluff and win the hand.

Common Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid

Playing Too Loose

Many players that are new to the game have trouble with how to play Texas Hold’em, which is they play too many of their starting hands. This is the number one issue in Texas Hold’em for beginners.

You must be disciplined to fold out weak hands, it may seem boring, but that’s what works. Also, take to hear the best advice on what are the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em.

Ignoring Texas Hold’em Betting Rules

Another big issue is that people do not live by the Texas Hold’em rules. Also we see that new players have issues with their stack management which comes from inexperience in the Texas Hold’em betting rules which in turn see them put in either too little or too much in the pot.

Also, don’t get in to too many hands, and bear in mind that tight play out does loose play.

Live vs Online Texas Hold’em Differences

Whether you’re playing live or digital, the No-limit Texas Hold’em explained principles are the same; however, playing online earns you important differences.

In the end both are the same in terms of discipline but your strategic changes for each are key to success.

Poker Mindset Tips

In the beginning, you learn Texas Hold’em rules and study the theory of how to play Texas Hold’em. But true long term success isn’t in the cards alone; it’s in the head. The mental aspect is the final and most important piece of the Texas Hold’em strategy. If you are to put into practice all that this in depth Texas Hold’em poker guide has to offer, you will also have to work on your mental game as well as your hand selection.

Here is what you do for your mental game:

• Bankroll Management: Only play with money you which you don’t mind losing. You wouldn’t put your home at risk, would you?
• Controlling Tilt: Don’t let loss of money dictate your choices. When you hit a wall with frustration, take a break. Emotional decisions are what you want to avoid.
• Continuous Learning: Always look at what you played. Pro players also look to the game every day to keep that edge.

FAQ

1. What is the basic structure of Texas Hold’em?
   Based on Texas Hold’em rules, each player is dealt out two private cards and also uses five community cards. The game’s goal is to make the best 5 card hand from the set of seven cards you are given.
2. How many cards do you get in Texas Hold’em?
   Each player gets two private “hole cards” to start. Then, five community cards are dealt throughout the hand. This is fundamental for Texas Hold’em for beginners learning how to play Texas Hold’em.
3. Which are the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em?
   In terms of Texas Hold’em hand rankings probability, the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em are pocket Aces (AA), Kings (KK), Queens (QQ) and Ace-King suited (AKs). These give you the best edge pre-flop.
4. How do blinds play out in Texas Hold’em?
   Blinds are put in before the cards are dealt out. These are in fact a key element of Texas Hold’em, which rotate around players at the table. What they do is get the pot with some money in it and also start off the Texas Hold’em betting rules.
5. How to play Texas Hold’em online for free? Is there a way?
   Sure! Many sites present free “play money” options, which is great for Texas Hold’em for beginners to try out Texas Hold’em at no risk. This is a very important feature of online Texas Hold’em poker.
6. What does No-Limit and Limit Hold’em differ in?
   In No-Limit Texas Hold’em explained, what we see is a different approach to betting which is not present in Limit Hold’em. Players are able to put in all of their chips at any point which is not the case in the former. This high risk feature plays a great role in how Texas Hold’em hand rankings play out.
7. In what regard is position important in Hold’em?
   Position is a key element in Texas Hold’em strategy. By acting last you gain info on what your opponents are doing which in turn allows you to make much better and more profitable plays through the hand.
8. Do pro players use solvers in Texas Hold’em?
   Absolutely, top professionals use what I will term “optimal play” programs (GTO tools). This is now a standard practice which you will see in any serious Texas Hold’em poker guide which also covers the Texas Hold’em rules.