Ever wondered what makes Poker Texas Hold Em so popular when compared to other variants of poker? You’ll be pleased to learn that this isn’t just some online casino myth that’s been popularised over the years, but actually true. Over the course of time, the game of poker has grown from strength to strength in terms of popularity, but having said so, it’s also been one of those card games that has significantly diversified over the years.
With multiple rules, different tournaments, and various time durations, make every variation intrinsically unique, however, even when it comes to popular online casino games, Poker Texas Hold Em is undoubtedly the world’s favourite.
Poker Texas Hold’em Online Rules
Before you start playing any Poker Texas Hold’Em game, it’s always a good idea to know the rules. This adaptation is probably the game of poker at its most simple, but let’s start from the very beginning. In Poker Texas Hold Em each player is dealt two cards, both face down, and the first round of betting happens right here. In poker terms, these initial cards are known as ‘the hole’.
Next, three community cards are dealt at the centre of the table, face up and once again, in poker terms, these cards are known as ‘the flop’. Another round of betting happens here, before an additional two cards are dealt to the flop with additional betting rounds in between. In Poker Texas Hold Em, the fourth card is known as ‘the turn’, whereas the fifth and last card is referred to as ‘the river’. You can get more information about the flop, river, turn here.
The aim of the game is to create recognised online Texas Hold’em hands using a combination of your hole cards along with additional cards from the community table, with no restrictions. If during a particular game all players choose to fold with the exception of one, then that player automatically wins without having to reveal his or her cards. If two or more players are remaining, then all hands are revealed and the stronger one will win the pot.
Texas Hold’em Hands – Understanding Your Cards
Now that you’ve got all your Poker Texas Hold Em basics covered let’s take a look at Poker Texas Hold Em hands by rank.
This also applies to your starting hand.
|
Rank |
Poker Hand |
Description |
|
#1 |
Royal Flush |
10, J, Q, K, A, with matching suits |
|
#2 |
Straight Flush |
Five consecutive cards in numerical order with matching |
|
#3 |
Four of a Kind |
The same card in all four suits |
|
#4 |
Full House |
Three of a kind plus a pair |
|
#5 |
Flush |
Five cards of the same suit in no particular order |
|
#6 |
Straight |
Five consecutive cards in numerical sequence of different |
|
#7 |
Three of a Kind |
The same card, three times in various suits |
|
#8 |
Two Pairs |
Two sets of paired cards in the same hand |
|
#9 |
One pair |
One pair of cards in the same hand |
|
#10 |
High Card |
No matching cards available |
Wagering In Poker – The Big And The Small Blind
Unlike other variations of poker, Poker Texas Hold Em doesn’t feature any ante bets, which are forced bets players are required to take before even being dealt their cards. In this case, online Texas Holdem features another sort of betting structure known as blinds.
Essentially, there are two types of blinds in Poker Texas Hold Em – a big one, and a small one, and the name derives from the fact that players are asked to place this bet without previously taking a look at their cards.
Depending on your position around the poker table, the role of the dealer will transfer to each player per round by means of a marker known as ‘the button’. Depending on the button’s position, certain players are required to place blind bets before the game begins. This feature is probably the most apparent in live poker Texas Hold’em where a live dealer will rotate the marker across the table.
Being in the big blind spot at the live poker Texas Holdem table for instance, constitutes a certain advantage, with that player being the second to act (this is the player located to the left of the small blind player) in every round after the flop.
You can also try your hand at progressive poker or learn the best Poker Texas Hold’em Betting Strategy.
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Texas Holdem Betting Options
Call, push, bet, raise, and so on – these are just some of the terms you’ll come across while playing your next game of Poker Texas Hold Em. Even though it may appear to be a lot to take in at once if you’re just getting started, just like you’ll learn poker card ranks, you’ll also quickly become acquainted with the lingo. These include:
- Bet – the first wager of any game of Texas Holdem after the blind is called the bet.
- Call – next series of wagers which follow the bet. This wager requires matching the previous player’s action.
- Check – If no bet has been made, then you’re able to stay in the game without placing a wager by calling a check rather than a bet.
- Raise – following a bet, you’re able to increase the wager stated by the player before you.
- Push – a larger wager that includes your whole stack of chips
- Re-raise – like the raise action, but happening again
Round One – Pre-Flop
The player to the left of the dealer or the button will wager the small blind, and the player to their left will place the big blind. As a general rule the small blind is generally half the big blind, but once again different variations exist.
In this case the first player is able to call, raise, or fold. Should the player choose to fold, he or she is automatically disqualified from the round. The amount you’re able to raise during a game depends on what type of Texas Hold’em poker you’re playing.
Round Two – The Flop
Once the pre-flop is done, the first three communal cards are dealt to the centre of the table and a second betting round is available to all those who have not folded yet. In this betting round, and every other to follow, wagering will begin from the first active player seated to the left of the button marker.
Along with being able to call, raise, or fold, players are now also able to check if no previous bets have been placed. This move passes on the action to the next player, without any additional commitment from the current player. Should all players on the table choose to check, the betting round ends here and moves on to the next stage.
Round Three – The Turn
At this stage, a fourth communal card is placed face up at the centre of the Poker Texas Hold Em online table, and a new betting round is called. Once again, players are able to bet, call, fold, check, or raise.
Round Four – The River
This is the final Texas Holdem poker round and a fifth communal card is drawn up. Once again players are invited to decide whether they’d rather bet, call, fold, check, or raise, with all players exposing their cards once this round is complete. As mentioned earlier on however, should all players choose to fold leaving one remaining player, he/she is not obliged to show their cards.
Round Five – The Showdown
Once all remaining players reveal their hole cards, the winning hand is determined, with the player holding the best combination of cards winning the round. Should two players hold identical card ranks in poker Texas Hold’em online, then that’s where card suits come in, with spades being the highest, followed by hearts, diamonds, and spades.
Live Vs Online Hold’em Poker – What’s The Difference?
At the end of the day, whether you choose to play Poker Texas Hold Em online or live, you’re still going to be playing the same game. In both cases, players are able to take the same actions, however most online Texas Holdem players would argue that the two couldn’t be any more different – here are some of the main reasons:
- Size of bets allowed
- Calling vs folding
- Game pace
- Game variance
- Game tells
Size of Bets Allowed
When it comes to live Poker Texas Holdem, bet sizing mostly hinges on what happens during the pre-flop stage. While online games may have standard 2x, 2.5, or 3x big blind limits, it’s not unusual to encounter live players who will open for 5x or 6x sometimes, especially when it comes to lower-stakes live casino games.
Calling vs Folding
In general, online players are usually more willing to make larger post-flop calls, with weak or medium-strength hands than they would when playing live. This implies that big river bluffs tend to happen more frequently in a live scenario then it would online.
One explanation could be that it’s probably easier for players to hit the call button when not subjected to the social pressure a live game might bring along.
Game Pace
One of the most distinct differences between live and online versions of Poker Texas Holdem is definitely the pace of the game. Online poker is usually considerably faster, with some preferring this version for this exact reason. It’s estimated that a round of live poker Texas Holdem is approximately twice as long as its online counterpart.
Game Variance
When it comes to Poker Texas Holdem online, variance refers to the ups and downs one experiences when playing poker. The higher the variance of a specific game, the larger the potential of gaining or losing within a shorter timeframe when compared to lower variance online Texas Holdem games. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to check out the game’s variance, or house edge, before taking a seat at any table game.
Game Tells
The biggest difference about online Texas Holdem is not being able to see the other players, which means that any physical tells one might apply at a land-based casino are made redundant online. Just like you’d imagine, this affects table talk, however more experienced players might argue that when playing live, less experienced players are more likely to share more information at the table.
Poker Texas Hold’em FAQs
What is the best starting hand in Hold’em?
Two Aces are definitely the strongest hole cards in Poker Texas Hold’em, sometimes being referred to as ‘pocket rockets’. Nevertheless, they are never the be-all and end-all of online Texas Holdem. other strong hole card combinations include a pair of Kings, a pair of Queens, an Ace and a King or Queen of the same suit, a pair of Jacks, a King and Queen of the same suit, an Ace and a Jack of the same suit, as well as an Ace and King of different suits or a pair of Tens.
What’s a bad beat?
This is another poker term which refers to the times a player appears to have a set of strong cards, but loses nevertheless. Bad beats generally come about when one player bets on the stronger hand, while an opponent making a lucky call ends up winning the pot.
When is a good time to fold when playing Poker Texas Holdem?
It’s recommended for players to always fold whenever they’re dealt any hand that features two cards worth two to nine, with the exception of a pair featuring the same value, or an Ace and a number card of the same suit.
What are the best hands in Hold’em?
The Royal Flush stands at the top of Texas Holdem’s card ranks, followed by the Straight Flush, four of a kind, the Full House, the Flush, the Straight, Three of a Kind, and Two Pairs, and so on as indicated above.
