Texas Holdem is a game that only takes a few minutes to learn but can take a lifetime to master. Despite the fact that it is by far the most popular online poker game, many new online poker players do not know how to play it. Generally people learn to play poker at family card games or playing with friends. The standard games are 5 card draw, no-peak, 5 card stud, 7 card stud, baseball and countless other games and variations sometimes played with wild cards. Texas Holdem is simpler than many of these games, the only reason it can take a long time to master is because you are mastering the other players and not the game. It is true that in online poker there are not any real ‘tells” but after you play for a while you will start to easily recognize betting patterns. So in truth once you learn how to play you will have mastered the game, but mastering winning tactics is what takes a lot of work.
First we will look at the most confusing part of playing online Texas Holdem; the betting structure. Many new players are used to putting an ante into the pot at the start of each game but in Texas Holdem some players get to see their cards without even putting money into the pot. There is a chip commonly called The Button on the table the moves clockwise to the next player at the end of each hand. The player immediately to the right (the players left) will be forced to put in the small blind. The small blind is ½ of the big blind, for example; if you are at the $2/4 Texas Holdem table the small blind is the $2 and the big blind is the $4. The player to the left (the players left) of the player in the small blind will be forced to place the full $4 into the pot. This is all done before any cards are dealt.
When the blinds are placed the dealer will deal two cards face down to each player at the table. The players can look at their cards but cannot show the other players or talk about their hands. The player to the left (the players left) of the player in the big blind will then decide if he wants to be in the hand. If the player wants to play he must call the same amount as the player in the big blind put into the pot ($4 in the above scenario). The player can fold, call or raise. If the player wants to raise, the raise must be at least the amount of the big blind. Here is an example, if the table stakes are $2/4 and the player to the left of the big blind wants to raise he must raise a minimum of $8. This will equal out to the $4 ante and $4 extra dollars for his raise. The process will go around the table clockwise until it comes back to the player in the small blind after the button. Since the player in the small blind already has $2 in the pot, if there are no raises he will only have to put in $2 more but he also has the choice to raise or fold as well. If there are no raises the player in the big blind can simply check and he will be in the hand since he already has the $4 ante in the pot and he also can raise or fold.
When all players have either folded or put their money into the pot the flop is dealt. The dealer will place three community cards face up in the center of the table. Each player can use these with the two hold cards in their hands. The first person to bet will always be the person to the left of the player in the big blind. This also differs from many home games where the player to bet last will always have to bet first. The minimum bet is the amount of the big blind. The bet will rotate around the table just like when the blinds we placed and each player can fold, call or raise.
When all players have betted, the dealer will deal one card face up with the other community cards. Each player can use this card as well as the three from the flop and the two in their hand in any combination to make the best five-card hand. Another round of betting in the same way as before will occur after the turn is dealt. The only difference will be that the minimum bet will be twice the big blind. The fifth and last community card is placed in the center of the table. This is the last card that will be dealt; each player can use any combination of the 5 community cards and the two in their hand to make the best five-card hand. You do not even need to use either of your hole cards if they don't improve the five community cards.
One last round of betting will occur and then the Showdown will occur. All players still in the hand will place their cards face up on the table and the player with the best five-card hand will win the pot. If there is a tie each player will receive part of the pot (50/50 for a 2 player tie).
At all online poker sites the placing of blinds and the rotating of the button is completely automated and streamlined. You can checkmark a box and your blinds will automatically be placed for you at the start of each game. At many online poker sites you will have different options at the showdown, if you have the losing hand you may muck your cards so the other players can't see them or you can even just show one of your hole cards. There are different variations of betting variations in Texas Holdem; Fixed Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit.
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