How to Play Texas Hold 'em (Angelos)

If you watch any of the ESPN’s or the Fox Sports channels between the hours of midnight and say 8AM (though it is randomly on other times) you are bound to catch some scintillating televised Poker action. Many people click right past these shows because in all honesty for most people it is like watching paint dry. But for some watching these masters of the green felt card table do battle is the most thrilling form of entertainment any sports channel can offer. This is because they play they game, they know how it feels to lose and win and they have felt the exhilaration and disappointment of both ends of the spectrum.

Whether you just want to understand whats going on in those incessant card tournaments on TV or if you are looking to join in a game some time soon you need to know the rules, procedures and etiquette of Poker.

First it is important to understand the different hands a player can have. A hand can range from a simple high card to the coveted royal flush. I will not go into explaining every hand because almost any new deck of cards will have a list of them all and what beats what.

There are many forms of Poker and though I have been playing for years I must admit I still do not understand them all. The most common and popular form of the game is Texas Hold’em. It is what you see on almost all of those World Series of Poker events and is the game of choice for almost all home games you may be invited to. This form of Poker combines gives each player two individual cards and the entire table five community cards to make the best five card hand possible.

To start a game of Texas Hold’em the action begins before the first card is even dealt. Thre are things called the “blinds” where the player immediately to the left of the dealer puts in half of whatever the blind amount is and the player to their left puts in the full amount. These are called the “big” and “small” blinds. After that the cards are dealt with each person receiving two cards face down. These are your “hole” cards and only you may look at them.

Once everyone has looked at their cards the betting begins with the person to the left of the big blind. The minimum you must bet is the amount of the big blind, but a player can “fold” or give up their cards if they feel they do not have a good enough starting hand. After everyone has bet there is a “burn and turn” where the dealer places one card to the side face down and three more face up. Those three are called the “flop” and are community cards. Another round of betting occurs in the same manner as the first, but this time and every subsequent time the person immediately to the left of the dealer starts. Another slight difference from the first round of betting is the “check.” If no one has bet or raised a player can “check” and see what those after him will do or if they are the last to go the next burn and turn will occur.

The second burn and turn involves another card being set aside face down and a fourth community card being turned face up. Again players bet just as before, then a final burn and turn and one more round of betting. If everyone folds and only one player is left in that player wins whatever money has been put into the pot. If two or more players go all the way to the end matching all bets placed on the table all remaining players flip over their two hole cards and the person with the best five card hand wins the pot.

This is just a basic overview of how to play Texas Hold’em Poker. There are many other nuances and strategies which a player must learn to play the game effectively. Those will come with experience. For now you are ready to join a friendly game or begin to understand what is going on with all of those odd card playing characters on the television. Enjoy!