As the title suggests, this section is about texas hold 'em and the way it is played. Commonly known as "hold 'em", this game has turned into the most popular poker game in the world today. This section should allow you to be able to sit down at a table and play the game without having to ask your fellow players a lot of embarrassing questions (however, beginners should never feel embarrassed about asking questions, everybody starts somewhere, everyone was a beginner once).

The basic structure of hold 'em is easy. Of course the game is more complicated than just the basic strategy but the basics is all you need at this stage to get started. Texas hold 'em is constructed in a quite simple fashion unlike more complex games like chess, for instance.

Ok, firstly we'll discuss the role of the dealer. In most card games, the deal is rotated clockwise, and hold 'em is no different. In your home games you simply rotate who deals clockwise from one hand to the next but in larger games in casinos, there is a professional dealer who who deals every hand. Everything will be controlled by the designated professional dealer, card shuffle, deal the cards, keep the bets right and help control the game tempo. Good dealers keep the game flowing by dealing quickly and reliably and by using diplomacy in encouraging action from the slower players. When there is a dealer in place, a small white plastic "puck" is used to indicate who the dealer would be at the table where a professional was not present. This is called the 'dealer button', or the 'button' for short. In most cases the word 'dealer' would be printed on it.

As we have already said, in home games the dealer would get passed the deck of cards one hand at a time, but, in these larger games or games "online", the button would be passed to each player in turn to indicate who would be dealing if a professional was not present.

You may ask - "why bother doing this?" Well its quite simple. The "dealer" or the player with the button, is always last to act in each round of betting in hold 'em which gives them significant advantage over the rest of the table because this player has more information regarding this particular hand than, say, the first player to act. With the use of the button, it allows each player to have this advantageous position the same amount of times. "Position" in poker is important and it will be covered in more advanced sections.

Before cards have been dealt for the hand, the first two players to the immediate left of the button need to make a forced bet to get the action started, these are called 'blinds'. The first player to the immediate left of the button makes the 'small blind' bet (this amount is pre-determined prior to the beginning of the hand) and to the left of this player (2nd player clockwise to the button) posts the 'big blind' bet (usually about double the small blind).

Then each player is dealt two 'hole cards' (private cards) face down, one card at a time. Then to begin the first round of betting, the player who is left of the big blind is first to act. Notice that this game is getting played in a clockwise direction all the time. The player assesses their hand and can make one of three options. They can 'muck' (fold) their cards, call (which is the value of the BB) or they can raise, to at least the double of the BB (If the BB is 2, a raise is 2 to call BB +2 minimum, so would b a minimum raise of 4 chips in total). However all you do when raising is say 'raise' then put your chips out in front of you to whatever value you want, not 'call' AND 'raise' as what you have said first (call) would be the play you would have to make. Once the first player has finished whatever move he makes, it then goes round to the rest of the players to act in a clockwise rotation, with all players having the same options. Once it moves back to the SB and BB positions, they are still allowed to make a bet or act as they wish to play although they have made forced bets at the beginning of the hand. But if all bets to the BB are of the BB size, the BB has the option of 'checking', which is staying in the hand without making a raise. However, if a player 're-raises' a bet during the round of betting, the action goes round everyone again until all bets are equal or until everyone has folded.

After the first round is complete the dealer then deals three cards face up on the middle of the table, these are known as 'community cards' or the flop. These cards are available to everyone to use to make the best possible hand. Then for the second round of betting to begin the player to the left of the button begins (this is the person who was the small blind in the previous round of betting). They have the option to:- Check (stay in the hand but don't post a bet), make a bet or fold (no one should fold unless someone has made a bet and you don't wish to call or raise. At this point it is free to check and to stay in the hand). It is possible for every player to check in this round and to move to the next round but if someone makes a bet everyone must either call the bet, raise the bet or fold before the round is over.

Once it is over, the dealer will turn another card over face up. This is known as the 'turn' or 4th street. This card can also be used by all players. Then the 3rd round of betting takes place, with this part being the same betting structure as it was on the flop, however, in limit play, the minimum bet you can make has now doubled in size.

Then after this round is complete, the dealer turns over the fifth and final card face up, known as the 'river' or fifth street. Once again, everyone has the option of using this card to make their own best hand. At this point there is 5 community cards face up on the table plus the two private hole cards you have beside you and from these 7 cards, you have to make the best FIVE CARD poker hand and dismiss the other two cards that you don't need. However, every player can use only 5 of the 7 and you have to determine whether your 5 cards are better than your opponents and bet accordingly. The betting structure is the same as before but this time once the betting is complete, the players remaining in the hand flip over their cards to determine who has the best hand but sometimes, if someone flips over a hand that no one else can beat, no one else bothers showing their cards.

Well, That's hold 'em! So......

In summary, there are 4 rounds of betting, one before the flop, one on the flop, one one the turn then the final round on the river. Then the players left show their hands to determine the winner. EASY! But they say that "it takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master". This is very true.

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