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How do you play Texas Hold'em step by step?

There are a lot of issues regarding Poker, here we just look at the most important subjects

By amir jafariPublished 2 years ago 10 min read
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Pair of Aces

If you want to start playing poker, it is vital to learn it from the basics. If a player doesn't have proper knowledge about poker terms, hands, and history, they can not succeed in this game. This article will tell you how poker started, the rules of Texas Hold'em, and, more importantly, how you can become a poker player. Let's look at the history of poker first;

There are many rumors about how poker started and where it's rooted. Many historians argue that poker dates back to 1,000 years ago, and it was drived from a Chinese domino-card game played by the Chinese emperor in the 10th century. The other theory about poker circles around a Persian game known as "As Nas," which you can find its root in the 16th century. But the latest research indicated that a French game called Poque, played in the 17th century and based on bluffing, is poker's main root.

The immigration of French soldiers to the New World, America, took Poque to the new continent. Combining this new game with the games played by Irish people, a new game called poker was developed. In 1834 a modern Poker game played with 5 cards was widespread. In 1871, a U.S. minister introduced poker to Queen Victoria, and this was the day that modern poker entered Europe. Over the years, poker has had many deviations like five-card draw, seven-card stud, and the last and most important one Texas Hold 'em.

Texas Hold'em was not very well-known before 1990. This type of poker gained its fame because of two crucial factors: casinos needed a game to attract customers, and the second one was the World Series of Poker. It was in 2001 that the first international championship of Poker Texas Hold'em started. By broadcasting this event on national channels, many people got interested in this game. Many people are attracted to this game as a result of two main differences. First, Texas Hold'em is so much easier than 7 cards poker; second, there is no limit for betting on this game. Now it is time to teach you poker.

Texas Hold'em rules

Texas Hold'em always played around a table. At the middle of the table, the dealer sits. On the dealer's left side, there are two players that, at first hand, should place Small blinds and the Big Blinds. Big Blind is the minimum amount that a player should bet, and the Small Blind is half of that. These two bets are mandatory, and players have to place their bets. At the next round, the player who placed the Big Blind will place the Small Blind, and this clockwise turn will continue.

At the beginning of the game, each player will have two face-down cards (known as hole cards). The first two cards will go to Small Blind, and the last card will go to the player on the right side of the Small Blind. These two cards will not be shown until the end of the game. At this point, the players start to call, fold or raise the blind; the first player is the one on the left side of the Big Blind. When the Big Blind Checked the blinds, 3 cards will be shown on the center of the table by the dealer; these three cards have been named the flop. Now all the players have 3 similar cards on the table and 2 hole cards on their hands.

Since most of the cards are in the player's hand, s/he can predict how strong their hand is to decide whether to continue the round or fold the Blind. At this point, bettings will start once again; players who didn't fold at the first round can still call or raise the Blind. Like the first round, players begin to call the Blind till all the players check the blind. When the Big Blind is checked, the fourth community card known as The Turn will be shown on the table. Each of the remaining players have a six-card poker hand—two in their hand and four on the table. During poker Shows, you may have heard, "The turn plays itself," this means if you have a better hand with the fourth card, you can call or raise; otherwise, you should seriously think about folding. Once all the bettings are finished, the last community card or The River (in some parts of the U.S. called the fifth street) will be exposed. The remaining players have all the cards in their hands; they can calculate their winning chances based on the hand values. If they have upper hands, they can raise once again. But if they don't possess a strong hand, they should fold here. In the next section, we will show you how Poker hands are valued.

Texas Hold'em Hands

In the previous section, you read how the Poker game is played; now it is time to know the value of the Poker hands. Players should have 7 cards – two hole cards and 5 community cards- in their hands when all the cards are dealt. The best possibility is your Poker hand, and two cards don't count. By using a photo, we are going to show you how Poker hands are valued. Below the picture, in detail, we will analyze these hands from the lowest to the highest.

All Poker Hands

High card- No pairs

The less probable hand to win the game in poker is the High card. On this hand, you can not pair any two cards, so technically, it is the worst possible hand. If two players both have a High Card, the one who has the upper hand will win the game. Aces, in this case, have the highest value, and then it comes Kings, Queen and Jacks.

One Pair

If there are two same ranked cards, for example, two Jacks, in one poker hand. Then the player has a pair; the other three cards consist of better available three cards. If two players have one pair, the winner will be decided by the upper hand pair; in this case, aces have more value. Consider three players in one table have one pair, two upper hand players have the pair of aces; in this case, the higher unrelated cards determine the winner.

Two pairs

If a player has two sets of the same ranked cards in his hands, we call it two pairs. An example will come in handy here; a player has the following cards; (Q♣-A♣-A♠-7♣-7♠), as you may see, there are 2 sets of the same cards in his hand.

If two players have two pairs, Like one pair, the player with higher valued cards is the winner of the game. The unrelated card gains its value when both players have the same hands. If both players have (A♥-A♦-7♥-7♦), then the unrelated higher card determines the winner.

Three of a kind

This hand is also called trips or a set. On this hand, a player has three same ranked cards and two unrelated cards. Let's take a closer look at this hand; (7♥-7♦-7♣-A♥-K♣), this hand is a sample of three of a kind.

Straight

In Poker games, as you can see, there are many ways to create a hand. In Straight, you don't need to have any pair cards; you have made a poker hand if you have a sequence of cards. In this case (A♥-2♦-3♥-4♦-5♠) will be the lowest straight (also called the Wheel), and (10♥-J♥-Q♦-K♥-A♠) will be the Highest Straight (or as many call it Broadway).

There are some rules that players should consider in Straight. First, the Wheel is the only known set of cards that aces are considered the lowest card. Second, you cannot wrap around and use Q-K-A-2-3 as a Poker hand.

Flush

If a player can create a hand that is non-straight (this part is significant), but all are of the same unit. A♥-7♥-6♥-3♥-Q♥ is an ace-high flush which means you have the most powerful flush in your hand.

Full house

A combination of three of a kind and two pairs will make a hand called Full house. 7♥-7♦-7♣-K♥-K♣ is a sample of Full House. On this hand, the upper three-of-a-kind card will determine the winner.

Four of a Kind

Four of a kind or quads is a hand that contains four of the same ranked cards and one distinctive card. On this hand, the fifth card has no value, and if two players have four of a kind, the upper Quads is the winner.

Straight Flush

A combination of two great hands (Straight and Flush) is Straight Flush. If a player is lucky enough to have straight from the same suit (flush), he has made Straight Flush. 5♥6♥7♥8♥9♥ is an example of Straight Flush in a Poker game.

Royal Flush

The highest and also rarest Poker hand is called Royal Flush. A player will have a 4/2,598,960 probability of creating this hand. This hand is the same as Straight Flush, but it will be like this A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥.

Texas Hold'em Tips

Don't bluff too much

If you want to win a poker game, know when to bluff, either by talking or how you call or raise. Those who bluff all the time their words or playing style are not considered as significant. Players who bluff at the right time and place are the actual winner during a poker match. My experience showed me to bluff when I feel I am in the same situation as my opponent. For example, when I think we are both going for three-of-a-kind, and by bluffing, I can collect the pot without playing to the end.

Fold when you can't go for upper hands

When I watch the Poker world series, I always wonder about the differences between a great Poker player and a bad one. Finally, I found the answer in folding the Big Blind. Great players such as Patrik Antonius or Antonio Esfandiari know when to fold their hands, even if they have a good one. As a semi-professional Poker player, I recommend you, when you can not decide to call or fold, take the road not taken and fold; maybe you get lucky for the next hand.

Only bet on good hands

Poker is a great fun, but it won't be that much fun if you keep losing; I tell this from experience. You cannot attack your opponents by calling and hoping they would fold; this will leave you in a vulnerable position. Before calling or raising the Blind, evaluate your hand. If you are going for more than two pairs, feel free to raise more.

Raise when you feel weakness in your opponent

Great poker players ignore their opponent's bluff; they act upon their calling system. When a poker player has a weak hand, they tend to check instead of calling multiple times. When they checked the Big Blind more than once is time for you to attack them. Use this technique if you don't have a great hand yourself and collect the pot.

In conclusion

Playing poker in real life is not as easy as it might be seen on T.V. Many gamblers devoted most of their time learning how to play this game and discovered its strategies. Here we tried to teach you the basics of playing poker, but learning to play doesn't mean you are a player. We recommended a tremendous and legit website for those players who want to combine fun with some earning. By depositing little money, you can enjoy a unique experience and have great fun with your friends.

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