Hold’em uses what is called a “dealer button” (a
small disc) to indicate the theoretical dealer of each hand. After each
hand is completed, the dealer button moves clockwise to the next active
player. This player will be considered “the dealer” for that hand. In this
way each player has equal opportunities to be in early, middle and late
position.
The First round of
Hold’em:
The two players immediately to the left of the
dealer button place blind bets to start the pot (similar in
principle to an ante). The player to the left of the dealer button posts
the “small blind” (usually equal to half the lower stake. At
PartyPoker.com the small blind is rounded down to the nearest dollar.
However, as it is just a guideline, the amount of the small blind could be
set slightly differently).
The player to the left of the small blind is required to post the “big
blind,” equal to the lower stake limit. All the blinds in Hold’em
poker are considered live bets and the players who posted them will have
the option of checking, calling, raising or folding when the betting
returns to their position. Remember, the dealer button (and therefore the
small blind and the big blind) move around the table clockwise after each
hand, so each player will post the blind bets over time.
Once the blinds have been placed, two secret cards are dealt to each
player (“hole cards”), after which the first betting round starts. The
player to the left of the player who placed the big blind starts the
betting for this round.
Each player now has the option to place his bets in the first round, which
is set at the lower limit of the stakes structure. (For example in a
$10/$20 Hold’em game, the value of each bet is $10 for the first round.
Therefore, when a user makes the move “bet,” this is equal $10, and
“raise” is $20…a raise includes a call on the previous bet placed and one
additional bet.)
Bets can be placed by playing Bet, Call or Raise.
These options are available depending on the action taken by the previous
player. Each player always has the option to fold. The first player
to act has the option to bet, call or raise. Subsequent players have the
option of calling or raising. To call is to bet the same amount as the
previous player has bet. To raise is to match the previous bet and
increase the bet.
Every player participating in the hand should have equal amounts of money
bet as the previous players (includes bets, calls and raises). Until the
time all the players have placed equal amounts in the pot, the betting
will continue. There is a limit on the amount and the number of bets a
player can place during a betting round (four bets for limit games).
After the first round of betting is over, the Flop (the first three
community cards) is dealt. The community cards are common to all the
players participating in the hand.
The Second Round of
Hold’em:
After the Flop (and in each subsequent betting
round), the first active player left of the dealer button is first to act.
The second betting round also limits the value of bets and raises to the
lower limit of the stake structure. So in a $10/$20 game, the value of
each bet is $10 for the second round.
Bets can be placed by playing Bet, Call and Raise. These options are
available to each player depending on the action taken by the previous
player. The first player to act in this round (the player left to the
button) gets the option to bet or to check (to refrain from betting…this
is only available if no bet has yet been made in the betting round). Once
a player has bet, subsequent players will get the Call and Raise options
only.
After this the fourth community card is dealt; this is known as the Turn.
The Third Round of Hold’em:
The third betting round starts again with the player
left to the button, bets and raises are limited to the upper limit of the
stake structure (in a $10/$20 game, $20 is the upper stake…therefore, a
single bet in this instance is $20, and a raise is $40 – includes a call
on the previous bet and one additional bet). Bets can be placed by playing
any of the following options – Bet, Call and Raise. Combinations of these
options are available to the player depending on the action taken by the
previous player.
After this the fifth and final community card is dealt; this is known as
the River.
The Fourth Round of
Hold’em:
The fourth (and final) betting round starts again
with the player left to the button, bets and raises are limited to the
upper limit of the stake structure (in a $10/$20 game, $20 is the upper
stake). Bets can be placed by playing any of the following options – Bet,
Call and Raise. Combinations of these options are available to the player
depending on the action taken by the previous player.
Once all the bets have been made, there are two possible outcomes: either
all the players but one have folded (and hence that person wins the pot),
or the remaining players reveal their hands and the best hand wins the
pot.
The game play remains same for both No-Limit and Pot-Limit Hold’em game
with a few exceptions to the rules mentioned above:
In limit Hold’em a maximum of four bets is allowed per player during any
betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4)
cap, but in No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Hold'em there is no limit to
the number of raises that a player can make. The only limit is that you
cannot raise yourself. If all the other players in the hand only call or
fold, the player would not get an option to raise, because the last raise
was done by him.
Now that you know the rules, what are you waiting for?
To get started playing Texas Hold 'Em Poker, all you need to do is
download
the free PartyPoker software. You can play on practice tables
for free or, if you're feeling lucky, on real money tables.