Texas Holdem Rules-----------------------------------Poker Hand Rankings
No Limit Texas Holdem ---------------------------------Standard Poker Hand Rankings
Limit Texas Holdem---------------------------------------Low Poker Hand Rankings
Pot Limit Texas Holdem--------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------ Stud Rules
Omaha Rules----------------------------------------------Seven Card Stud
Limit Omaha------------------------------------------------ Seven Card Stud Hi Lo
Pot Limit Omaha-------------------------------------------
No Limit Omaha Hi Lo------------------------------------Draw Rules
Limit Omaha Hi Lo-----------------------------------------Five Card Draw
Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo-----------------------------------2-7 Triple Draw

Razz Rules
Razz

Texas Holdem (also known as Holdem) is currently the most widely played poker game across North America, Europe, and the Internet. In recent years the popularity of Texas Hold’em has surged to levels previously unimagined due to innovative developments in television coverage of events like the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and Poker After Dark.

Prior to beginning a game of Texas Holdem it’s important to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game and a few useful terms. During a game of Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two cards by the dealer. These two cards are called the “hole cards”. Hole cards only belong to the player to which they are dealt, and are kept secret from all other players during the game. Throughout the rest of the game another five cards will be dealt face-up. These cards are known as the community cards and form what is commonly referred to as the “board”. The objective of Texas Hold’em is for each player to use their two hole cards in conjunction with the community cards, to make the best possible five-card hand they can. You can see a complete list of poker hand rankings at the Money Poker Bonus poker hand rankings page.

There are 3 major variations of Texas Holdem, the primary difference between them being in the way players are allowed to bet during game play. The rules for all these forms of Texas Holdem are identical except for the way betting is structured.

i) No Limit Texas Holdem: Players are allowed to bet all of their chips any time it is their turn to bet.

ii) Limit Texas Holdem: Players have a specified limit beyond which they are not allowed to wager.

----- iii) Pot Limit Texas Holdem: A player may not bet any more than the value of the pot.

Texas Holdem Rules:

Blinds

Blinds exist in Texas Holdem because games are frequently played without antes. A blind is a forced wager posted by players prior to that player being dealt their hole cards. There are typically only two blinds posted during each rounds of play, but some games will call for only one or as many as three. In Texas Holdem, the two different blinds are known as the small blind and the big blind. Prior to the first round of betting, the small and big blinds are the only money in the pot. The word “big blind” simply means a full bet, while “blind means” half the full bet. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the big blind would be $4 and the small blind would half of $4, or $2. Similarly, in a $1/$0.50 game, the big blind would be $1 while the small blind would be half the big blind at $0.50. Blinds are always posted to the left of the dealer. The player directly at the dealers left posts a small blind, while the player two to the left of the dealer posts the big blind. After the small and big blind have been posted, each player received their hole cards.

Pre-Flop

After looking at their Hole Cards, if a player decides not to fold, they can now choose to either play their hand by calling or raising the big blind. To recap, the big blind is the larger of the two forced bets made prior to receiving the hole cards. For example, in a $2/$4 Texas Holdem game the big blind would be $4, and it would therefore cost $4 to ‘call’ and see the flop. This segment of the game after a player has seen their hole cards and before the first three community cards have been dealt is knows as “Pre-Flop”.

In Texas Holdem a player has the option of betting, calling, or raising. Which course of action a player chooses depends on the actions made by players before them. Every player at the table always has the ability to simply fold. If a competitor is first to act they have they may bet, call or raise. Every other player then has the option to either call or raise. Calling means to wager the same amount as the player who acted before you. To raise is to bet the same amount as the previous player plus an additional amount sum to increase the bet.

Once all players have completed the initial round of betting, three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as the “flop”. Each of these three community cards is available to all players still involved in the game. Wagering resumes with the active player directly to the left of the button. The minimum bet cannot be smaller than the size of the big blind, but in No Limit Holdem, there is no maximum bet. All rules from the previous round of betting apply.

The Flop

The three cards dealt face-up on the board called the “flop”. In Texas Holdem, these three cards are community cards and are available to all players who are still active in the hand. Betting in this round begins with the active player directly to the left of the button. The minimum bet may not be lower than the value of the big blind, and bets may be as large as a players entire bankroll. When all betting has been completed, the “turn” card is dealt face-up on the board.

The Turn

The “turn” card is the name given to the fourth community card which is dealt face-up on the board. Once again, play begins with the active player directly to the left of the button. Minimum bets cannot be lower than the value of the big blind, and there is no maximum bet.

The River

When betting is completed in the “turn” round, a fifth and final community card is dealt face-up on the board. This last community card is know as the “river” card. The minimum bet may not be lower than the value of the big blind, and bets may be as large as a player’s entire bankroll.

The Showdown

If more than a single player remains in the last round of wagering, the final one to bet or raise exposes their hole cards. The player with the best possible poker hand ranking is awarded the pot.

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