Texas Hold ‘em Poker

Have you ever watched poker on television or in a movie? Most likely, the performers were engaged in a game of no-limit Texas Hold'em poker. It is the most widely played type of poker. The gameplay is simple to grasp. The mystery and thrill of the Texas Hold 'em Poker game is what raises the excitement level. You can try out the Spartan Poker app's free games to experience what we mean. Read more about Texas Hold 'em Poker below.

Objective of the Texas Hold em Poker

The objective of Texas Hold ‘em Poker game is to make the best poker hand and win pot money. 

Rules of Texas Holdem Poker

  • Each Texas Holdem Poker player gets two secret cards. These are known as hole cards. Only the individual player can see the hole cards. They are hidden from opponents. 
  • Five common cards are kept on the table. These are known as community cards. Community cards are kept face down on the table. The community cards reveal as the staking round progresses. 
  • Texas hold em poker players can make a poker hand with any best cards in texas holdem. Players use a combination of hole cards and community cards to make the best texas holdem poker hands.
  • The best texas holdem hands win in the end.
  • Players bet with poker chips to show the strength of their cards. Poker chips get over upon betting, therefore, players need to bet carefully.

Texas Hold’em is the easiest game to learn but it’s the most thrilling poker game you’ll ever play. Play texas hold ‘em poker regularly if you want to master it. As the popular song goes- “you gotta know when to hold'em, know when to fold’em, know when to walk away, know when to run!” Now that you have worked up an appetite for the game, it's time to understand how to play texas holdem poker.

How to Play Texas Hold ‘em Poker?

Let’s understand how to play poker texas hold em ahead.

Dealer Button

The dealer button indicates the position from which the poker game begins. It moves ahead in a clockwise direction. This is handled automatically when you play Texas Hold’em online (at a platform like Spartan Poker) or in a casino.

Blinds

  • Blinds are mandatory bets in Texas Hold’em Poker. 
  • Two players sitting next to the dealer add the blinds.
  • The player to the left of the dealer position adds a small blind, and player to the left of the small blind adds a big blind. 
  • The value of big blind is double that of small blind.
  • For example, if a small blind is Rs5, the big blind is Rs10.
  • Blinds are added before any cards are dealt and ensure that there are enough chips in the pot.
  • In texas holdem poker, the dealer keeps shifting places, and the blind positions on the poker table also rotate accordingly. 

Ahead, let us understand the flow of Texas Hold’em Poker game.

Deal

  • Once the blinds are added, the dealer gives two hole cards to each player.
  • The player immediately left of the big blind gets the first hole card, face down, followed by the rest of the players.
  • The dealer distributes the second hole card in the same way.
  • Once players get hole cards, the pre-flop betting round begins.

Betting Options

  • The game moves forward in a clockwise direction. Player to the immediate left of big blind bets first.  
  • Have a look at the betting options given below.

Call

  • A call is adding a bet equal to a previous bet.
  • For example, if you bet Rs5, the call is Rs5.

Raise

  • A raise is placing a bet double the previous bet.
  • For example, if you bet Rs5, the raise is Rs10. 
  • Raise is an aggressive move that implies strength in one's cards. For players to still qualify for the pot; they must now either call the raised amount or re-raise.

Check

  • A check in poker is an option of convenience.
  • When a player checks, they decide not to get involved in the betting round.
  • You can check if no other player has added a bet before you.
  • You do not always have the chance to check, but when you do, it would mean that the action moves right past you.

Fold

  • A fold in poker is a way to save your chips when you know your hands will not make it to the end. 
  • If you fold, you don’t bet and opt out of the game as you aren't confident of the cards you hold.

All-in

  • All-in is a decision where you bet all your poker chips. 

What did we learn about how to play poker texas hold em so far?

  1. While using Texas Holdem strategy, a player will fold if they are truly disappointed in their cards and do not want to lose any money. Players who know how to play texas Holdem poker know the precise moment to fold the cards.
  2. If the player's Texas Holdem poker hands strategy is good, and they are satisfied with the cards they have in the starting hand, the player will raise.
  3. If the poker holdem online player wants to play it safe and not raise nor fold their poker hands, they can call - which is to wager the maximum bet amount that has been placed on the table so far. So, if the highest bet amount was Rs. 10, the player will call and bet the same amount of money.

Further, let’s understand the betting rounds to know how to play texas hold em poker.

Betting Rounds

You may have come across the different stages in which betting takes place in poker. We will now talk about each of those and cover the final showdown.

  • Pre-Flop

  1. The first of the four betting rounds is called the pre-flop.
  2. In the pre-flop, players are dealt two hole cards.
  3. As per the texas holdem rules, this betting round begins with the player sitting next to the big blind.
  4. Players can either call or raise the big blind in pre-flop round.
  5. The first player has three options: call, raise, or fold. If the big blind is Rs 10, call would be Rs 10. Raise would be Rs 20 or more.
  6. The holdem online poker betting continues clockwise.
  7. If the previous player raises, the next texas holdem poker player has the option to call the raise and bet Rs 20 or reraise and bet more money. Fold is an option when a player decides not to play the hand and opts out of the texas holdem poker game. 

  • Flop

  1. Three community cards open in the flop round. 
  2. The player immediately next to the button places the first bet. 
  3. The rest of the players have the option to call, raise, or fold. 
  4. Additionally, players can check in the flop, that is choose not to bet if no one else has placed a bet before.

  • Turn

  1. The fourth community card opens in Turn round.
  2. The player immediately next to the button bets first.
  3. Players have the option to call, raise, or fold.
  4. Additionally, they can check, that is, choose not to bet.
  5. The game gets predictable at this stage, especially, for the players who do not have the best hands on the board.

  • River

  1. The fifth and last card community card opens in the texas holdem River round. 
  2. The player immediately next to the button bets first. 
  3. Players have the option to call, raise, or fold. 
  4. Additionally, they can check, that is, choose not to bet. 

  • Showdown

  1. If there are still players in the game after the River round, they must show their cards to everyone.
  2. Here, starting from the person to the right of the button, the players show their poker hands to each other. The best texas holdem poker hand wins the pot.
  3. Check out the poker hand rankings here to play a poker game.
  4. In case of an exact tie, the pot is split.

Betting Structure in Texas Holdem Poker

Have a look at the betting structures that are used in texas hold ‘em poker. There are three main betting limits. Know these if you are keen on learning how to play texas holdem.

  • No Limit

  1. As per No Limit Texas Holdem Poker rules, there is no upper limit on how much you can bet or raise.
  2. Since the blinds are big, the stakes for a no-limit game are based on how much money you have.
  3. Each time a player bets or raises, they must bet or raise at least the amount of the big blind.
  4. A player can always bet any amount between the minimum bets and the amount they have.

  • Pot Limit

  1. In a pot-limit texas holdem game, the blinds are the same amount as in a no-limit game.
  2. The size of the current pot determines the maximum amount you can bet or raise in the pot limit.
  3. All bets placed in the current round, as well as the amount required to call a previous bet are as per the texas holdem poker rules.

  • Fixed Limit

  1. In fixed limit texas hold’em poker, you can place bets and raise them at a fixed limit.
  2. There are different bet sizes based on the stakes of the texas holdem game.
  3. Small and big bet sizes must be the same for the first bet in any round.
  4. During a betting round, only three raises are usually allowed.
  5. Any raises that don't match the amount of money being bet must also be equal to that amount.
  6. Once the three raises have been made, other poker players can only fold or call if they don't want to play.

Texas Hold'em Poker Strategy

Poker is one of the greatest card games on the planet. The combination of skill and mind games, the psychological element, and the fact that you can make money in online poker games upscales its popularity. But, to make money in online poker games, you need to learn how to win at poker, which is easier than it seems.

Learning how to win at Texas Holdem can be broken down into four categories.

Those Categories Are:

Learn the Basics

  1. This goes without saying that to discover how to win at poker, you need to learn the basic poker rules. 
  2. You'd be surprised at the number of people sitting in a real money game of Texas Holdem who have no idea about the basic poker rules or are not even aware of Texas Holdem winning hands.
  3. These basic poker rules not only include Texas Holdem winning hands, but also the various positions at the poker table and how they affect your strategy, pot odds, and implied pot odds.

Learn Advanced Concepts

  1. The next stage in your poker quest should be to learn some more advanced concepts and poker strategies. Fill your mind by studying various aspects of the game and learn how to play poker against different types of players. 
  2. Obviously, it is impossible to calculate the correct position of your hand mathematically with utmost certainty, as online poker games are played with incomplete information. However, you can use all the available information presented to you to make an informed and calculated decision that would yield long-term positive results.

Apply Your Skills

  1. While it is practically not possible to learn how to win at online poker games every time.
  2. You can at least make yourself comfortable and confident enough to make winning decisions every time you play poker. 
  3. Texas Holdem is a complex game, but if you apply your skills to real money poker and get the hang of Texas Holdem winning hands, you can reap long-term benefits in this format.

Continue the Learning Process

  1. The best way to win online poker games is to constantly work on your game and try to improve your knowledge base about poker rules. 
  2. Load up your mind about the latest poker rules and strategies and estimate how much equity your poker hand has on different boards and against different possible hands for your opponents. 
  3. Always remember, if you play poker and want to reap the benefits of the game, never stop the learning process.

Summing Up

You don't need to be a math whiz to win at poker. Just clear your basics, learn the poker rules, and keep practising. Soon you will be able to earn some profit from online poker games. These strategies can give you a head start but only patience and lots of practice can make it happen for you. So, keep playing poker and keep practising your hands.

You can download the real money texas holdem app for a thrilling poker game experience.

Play Real Money Texas Holdem on Spartan Poker

You can play Texas Hold’em online on Spartan Poker real money texas holdem app. Along with many other variations of real money poker, there are free poker games too. So, no matter what stage you are at on your poker online journey, Spartan Poker has something for you. Practice

Texas Holdem poker online game on the Spartan Poker app and play high stakes to win a lot of money! 

Frequently Asked Questions - Texas Hold'em Poker

Q.1) How do you play Texas Holdem up poker?

Players get two hole cards and five community cards to play texas holdem poker. They aim to make best poker hand with five cards and bet during the texas hold’em game to win pot money.

Q.2) Why is Texas Holdem so popular?

Simple rules but thrilling gameplay makes Texas Holdem the most popular poker variant.

Q.3) Is Texas Holdem similar to poker?

Yes, Texas Hold em is a poker variant.  There are many poker variants besides texas holdem such as Omaha Poker, Chinese Poker etc.

Q.4) Is Texas Holdem hard to play?

Texas Holdem is easy to learn but mastering the game requires effort.