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How Do You Play Texas Hold’em For Beginners?

Playing Texas Hold’em for beginners is easy. In fact, you can win a hand right after learning how to play. This is because the game has fairly simple gameplay, especially if you are familiar with the poker hands and understand how the game works move for move.

If you are new to the game, though, we’ve got you covered. In this quick guide, we help you learn how to play Texas Hold’em poker in the easiest way possible. We also provide you with good sites where you can learn Texas Hold’em for free.

Texas Hold’em For Beginners

The Basics

In online poker, most of the mechanics are already sorted for you. The live dealer or software is responsible for dealing the cards, counting the bets as well as prompting the action.

However, to get started you will need to have registered with a casino to join a poker table. After picking your game at the lobby, you will get seated with your opponents and/or the dealer. Most tables accommodate from six to nine players.

Furthermore, depending on your game, you can do the first-person option which will be just you and the software or play heads-up with one other player.

If there is no dealer, you will take turns playing the dealer’s role with your opponents. For this role, you will get a dealer button. The small blind will be the first person on the dealer’s left and next along will be the big blind. The dealer button and blinds will move one place to the left after each round.

How to Play Texas Hold’em: Step by Step

Preflop

Once the two blinds have been posted, the round will begin with all players being dealt two cards face down. The two cards are known as hole cards or pocket cards. You will then be prompted to make a decision. You can choose to either call, raise or fold.

Calling means matching the big blind, while raising means increasing your bet. Folding which means you quit the round (give up). In some games, such as Bet on Poker and 6+ Poker, no action is required. All that’s needed of you is to bet on what hand you think will win.

The Flop

Once the preflop round is done, the dealer will deal three cards face up in the middle of the table. These cards are known as community cards. During this round, each player will have a five-card poker hand consisting of your two-hole cards and the three presented cards. The flop gives you a general idea of what kind of hand to look out for as the winner.

The Turn

When the flop is concluded, the dealer will place another community card known as the fourth street or turn. This means that now you will be having a six-card poker hand. However, do not forget that only five cards count towards a winning hand.

The River

Also known as fifth street, the river is the final community card to be dealt. At this point, each player will have a hand consisting of the best five of the seven cards available. These are your two private hole cards and five community cards.

Here, you will use either your two-hole cards with three community cards or one card along with four community cards or just the community cards to form a winning hand. Your opponent’s cards do not count as part of your hand.

The Showdown

The showdown is the final round in the game, which happens after the river. Not all Texas Hold’em games have this round. In fact, it is not formally required.

During the showdown, the person who initiated the final round will show their hand, with all players following afterwards in clockwise order. The players will then either muck their hands if they can’t beat the existing one exposed or show a better one.

Texas Hold’em Poker Hand Rankings

If you have been wondering what are the best ways to learn Texas Hold’em, a good start would be understanding the different poker hands. This is because knowing what hand you have – or possibility thereof – will help you make informed decisions.

Although what you think may not be the end result, it’s better than not knowing. Below are the different combinations from lowest to highest:

  • High card – any hand that does not form any of the below combinations.
  • (One) Pair – refers to any two cards of the same rank. E.g. Two tens or two kings etc.
  • Two Pair – refers to any two cards of the same rank along with another two cards of the same rank. E.g. Two Aces and two Queens.
  • Three of a Kind – three cards of the same rank. E.g. Three Jacks.
  • Straight – any consecutive five cards of different suits. E.g. A, K, Q, J and 10 or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
  • Flush – any five cards of the same suit. E.g. Five hearts or clubs.
  • Full House – three cards of the same rank together with two cards of the same rank. E.g. three Kings and two Aces.
  • Four of a Kind – any four cards of the same rank.
  • Straight flush – any straight cards of the same suit.
  • Royal flush – A straight from 10 to Ace of the same suit.

What are Some Good Sites to Learn Texas Hold’em?

Our article would not be complete if we did not direct you to the best sites to learn Texas Hold’em. As the best casino guide, we have quite a couple of South African sites offering poker for free to allow you some practice.

Once you are comfortable enough, you can play poker for real money and make so much of your gameplay. Here’s our comprehensive online poker guide with good sites to learn Texas Hold’em.

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