Texas Hold`em Poker – Strategies, Tips and How to play
Texas Hold’em replaced 7 Card Stud as the most popular poker variant because of its simple rules and player friendliness.
Texas Hold’em is the most popular variant of poker for many good reasons. In the first place, it is based on simple poker rules that can be learned even by a poker beginner in a matter of a few minutes. On the downside, mastering the strategies of Texas Hold’em and playing it in a profitable way may take days, months, or years depending on how hard the player works at it.
Learn how to play Texas Hold`em Poker using our demo game below:
A poker variant called 7 Card Stud was widely played till the turn of the century when Texas Hold’em occupied its place. TV poker shows could have played an active role in boosting the popularity of this variant. Moreover, the main events of prestigious live poker tournaments such as World Poker Tour (WPT) and the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which are shown on TV, are based on NL Texas Hold’em.
Brief History
The variant is believed to have originated in Texas in the early twentieth century. Players found it easier and relaxing to play Texas Hold’em because most of the cards are placed exposed on the table.
Well-known Texas Hold’em players Doyle Brunson, Crandell Addington, Amarillo Slim, and others brought the variant to Las Vegas, where it became a hit, and in the early seventies, the inaugural edition of the WSOP was held.
The game, however, became extremely popular only after Chris Moneymaker won $2.5 million in the NL Texas Hold’em Main Event of WSOP 2003. This inspired more and more people to learn Texas Hold’em and today, Hold’em is played widely all over the world.
Texas Hold`em Poker Rules
As previously mentioned, the rules of Texas Hold’em are very simple. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards and begins with the dealer shuffling the cards. The cards are dealt only after the two poker players sitting to the left side of the dealer places the big blind and the small blind.
Now, the dealer deals two hole cards to each player, after which players study the gaming situation and place a bet. However, they are also free to fold and quit the game. When the first betting round is done, the dealer places three cards face-up on the poker table. These are the community cards. This is followed by a second betting round, after which the dealer places another face up card on the table. A third round of betting then takes place, after which the dealer places the final card face up on the table. This is followed by the last betting round and the showdown, during which all the players who have not yet folded and are still in the hand show the five-card hand they have created using their two hole cards and the community cards on the table. The strongest hand wins the jackpot.
Texas Hold’em Poker Tips
Texas Hold’em is offered in the form of tournaments and cash games at almost all online poker rooms, but some poker rooms also offer freerolls and poker schools for beginners. These poker schools are rich sources of Texas Hold’em rules, tips, and strategies for players who are just beginning with the game. All players need to do in to become expert Hold’em players is to practice as much as possible.
