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Texas Holdem is the most popular variation of poker game by far - the best starting point in poker for a beginner and the most straightforward to follow. You'll be able to learn the basics of playing in just a few hours, with Texas Holdem rules and the basics of poker strategy quickly understood. By focussing initially on playing the correct starting hands and playing carefully with correct folding strategy you can get off to a great start.
Regular practice can improve your game from beginner to a reasonably strong level of play within a few weeks, especially if you sign up to a structured tuition programme using one of the poker schools. Free practice games are available in all of the leading online poker rooms - and cash games or tournaments against real opponents can be played for very low stakes to gain experience.
The popularity of Holdem has increased over recent years with the exposure it's received in the media, with regular TV broadcasts and of course the growth of online poker.
The minimum number of players in a Texas Holdem game is 2, with the maximum reaching 22. Most normal games see up to 10 players competing. The aim of the game is to win the pot containing all of the money that has been bet by players in the betting rounds. The player holding the best 5 card hand at the end of the betting rounds wins the pot.
At the start of each round you receive two cards face down from a standard 52 card deck, known as pocket or hole cards, with these cards only visible to you. At this point you place your first bet based on the value of these hole cards and/or their potential to make a strong hand after the next cards have been dealt. The amount of the first bet depends on the betting limit of the game.
The dealer position varies throughout the game, moving from one player to the left at the start of each new round. The two players to the left of the dealer place predetermined bets into the pot, known as the blinds. As the dealer position changes, so do the players who lace the blinds, resulting in all players placing an equal number of blinds over the course of a full game.
Betting starts at the first player to the left of the players that have placed the blinds. This is known as the pre-flop betting round. Your options once all the cards are dealt are to either call, raise, or fold. All players will take one of these options in turn, and at the end of this round the top card from the deck is discarded (the burn card).
The dealer then deals the flop - three cards face up on the table which are known as community cards. These three flop cards are used in conjunction with the two hole cards to form 5 card poker hands for each player. Remember at this point all players can see the 3 flop cards, but do not know the two hidden cards of each of their opponents.
The second betting round begins, starting with the player to the immediate left of the dealer. Each player folds or bets in turn, then the dealer discards another burn card and lays a 4th community card - known as the turn card. There is another betting round. Finally you arrive at the showdown or final hand, with the dealer turning over the 5th community card known as the river. Players now combine their two starting cards with any of the 5 cards on the table to form the highest value 5 card poker hand. If all players except one have folded, the pot is won by the last remaining player. If two or more players are still in the game, the best hand wins. Sometimes players will have equal hands, in which case the pot is split between them evenly.
Poker games are won by a combination of clever betting, following basic and advanced poker strategy, and a little luck. Texas Holdem poker contains many different elements which make the game exciting and unpredictable, including multiple betting structures, different strategies, attention to mathematical principles, how and when to bluff, and odds calculations.
Hundreds of online poker rooms offer Texas Holdem online games, making the opportunities to play endless. Many offer highly valuable articles on poker rules and strategy which are designed for beginners and experienced players. Texas Holdem poker is played in the World Series of Poker final, the world's greatest poker tournament, and is the most popular version of poker for online tournaments.
Texas Holdem - Additional Resources
For additional excellent information on all aspects of Texas Holdem Poker , you can visit any of these poker websites:
www.learn-texas-holdem.com....
''....the basics and secrets of playing successful Texas Holdem Poker - the king of online poker games...."
OnlinePoker.org has a good basic introduction to Texas Holdem plus a webpage dedicated to the best places to play Holdem.
The Wikipedia article on Texas Holdem is a superbly written introduction to the game.
ReviewTexasHoldem.com is a comprehensive Texas Holdem dedicated site providing concise articles on bonuses and strategies