No Limit, Fixed Limit and Pot Limit Texas Hold'em Rules
See also
There are three variations to this game: No-Limit Texas Hold'em, Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em and Pot-Limit Texas Hold'em. The No Limit Texas Hold'em is the famous type of poker today and probably the hardest and most challenging one to play. The biggest pots and piles of chips are usually found at the live and online poker tables.
In Texas Hold'em, each player receives 2 cards, which are called "hole cards", and then 5 more cards are opened on the table - they are called "community cards". The goal of the player is to form the strongest hand of 5 cards out of the 7 cards. The possible combinations are:
- Playing the board – the player's strongest hand is the hand formed on the board with the 5 cards there.
- One of player's hole cards with 4 of the board cards – the player forms his strongest hand using one of his two cards dealt to him in the beginning of the game and 4 more cards of the board.
- Two of the player's cards with 3 of the board cards - the player forms his strongest hand using the two cards dealt to him in the beginning of the game and 3 more cards of the board.
The game is divided into 4 following stages.
Pre-flop
The pre-flop is the stage before the community cards are dealt on the table. In this stage, each player recieves his two cards and a betting round starts.
The game includes a button (or dealer) and the game order is set according to it. The two players to the left of the button are called "The Blinds", this means they are obliged to bet and they begin the betting round. The first player to the left of the button is called "The Small Blind" and the second player to the left of the button is called "The Big Blind". Therefore, if the blinds at the current table are $5/$10, that means that the small blind automatically bets $5 and the big blind bets $10. After that, there is a betting round of the other players when the minimum bet is the big blind, but they can also raise the bet if they wish too. The betting round ends when all the players have bet and entered the game or folded their hands. At this point the pre-flop ends and the flop begins.
The Flop
The flop is when the first 3 out of 5 cards are dealt on the table. This starts another betting round. The first to act is the player to the left on the small blind position, who can check, bet or fold his cards. After the small blind decides his action, the game continues with the other players as the action always moves to the clockwise. The last one to act is the player in the button position, which is considered the best position in the game. The flop is usually the stage where the player can estimate his chances of winning with his cards, since he has already seen 5 out of 7 cards available to him.
The Turn
The turn is when the fourth card is shown on the table. Now there are four cards exposed to the players on the board and again the same betting round begins, when the first player to act is the player to the left of the button. The turn can truly be the turn of events, as new possibilities (such as straight or flush) might appear for players with weaker hands.
The River
The river is when the fifth card is shown on the table. Once the game continues and the river card is shown, there are now 5 cards on the board and no more cards will come. Another betting round begins as the first player to act is the player to the left of the button. After all the players have acted, there are two scenarios: either the single remaining players takes the pot, or the two or more remaining players go to the showdown by revealing their hole cards and comparing their hands. The player with the strongest hand wins.
Recommended online places to play Texas Hold'em
Poker Stars etc.
Now that you are familiar with Texas Hold'em rules, it is time to learn the strategy that will make you successful at the Texas Hold'em poker table.
