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Holdem: A Minute to Learn, A Lifetime to Master

By: jrr

Texas Hold em has exploded in popularity the past several years.
So much so that it is now a commonly televised occurrence on many cable outlets.
There are four reasons for the rise of popularity with Texas Hold em:


  • The movie Rounders. What Rounders did for Texas Hold em is enormous. It brought Hold em into mainstream America. Before Rounders, there was no World Poker Tour, there was hole card cam, and certainly, ESPN did not televise the World Series of Poker Main Event as they do today.

  • The Internet. The impact of the Internet on Hold em is huge. It allows people to play from anywhere all over the world. People in Australia and Japan can take on players from the tiny state of Rhode Island. There are no language barriers. On the poker table, the cards speak for themselves. The internet allows people to play who might not otherwise be able to play.

  • Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker's victory is viewed as having the greatest impact on Hold em. There is no doubt this obscure unknown from the state of Tennessee victory was huge. It proved to the world that anybody could win. It was the definitive lottery ticket. Take $40 and turn it into 2.5 million. No longer was poker a professional poker player's world. Moneymaker's win led to a flood of new players because of the dream they saw Moneymaker experiencing.

  • Hold em is easy. Texas Hold em is so popular because it is easy to learn. A newbie can easily start playing Hold em within a few minutes. That being said, there is a considerable amount of skill that you will learn through years of playing.


Credit Mike Sexton for saying "Hold em takes a minute to learn and a life-time to master."
Let's see how to play Texas Hold em.

Pre Flop

Texas Hold em starts with two players left of the dealer putting in the blinds-or forced bets. There is a small blind and a big blind.

  • The big blind is as a rule twice the amount of the small blind. The blinds are set before the game starts

  • The purpose for blinds is to encourage action. Once you play a few hands you will see without blinds, players would just fold until they got pocket Aces or pocket Kings.


The dealer position generally has a small round "button" in front of him to indicate position. Occasionally at the poker table, you will hear the phrase "on the button"...that is the dealer position.

After two players put in their bets or blinds, each player receives two "hole cards" or "pocket cards" face down.

Now, each player has the chance to call, make a raise, and or fold. The person to the immediate left (the action always moves clockwise) of the big blind is "under the gun." This player is known to be in "early position."

If no one raises the pot, the last person to act is the player who put in the big blind. He can both check and let the flop come out or he can bet and start another round of betting. The big blind is the only position on the table to have the "option."

The Flop

Once everyone has bet, raised, or folded the pot is good. It is then time for the flop.

According to the official Hold em rules, the dealer first "burns" a card and then places three-cards face-up on the center of the table.

Then another round of betting begins. For the rest of the hand the action will start to the immediate left of the dealer and move clockwise...with the dealer acting last in any round of betting.

The Turn

Once the second round of betting is finished, the dealer burns another card and then places a fourth card on the table. This is commonly known as the "turn" or "Fourth Street." Once again, players bet.



The River

Then finally the dealer burns a third card and then places a fifth and final card on the "board"...this card is termed as "Fifth Street" or the "river."<
A final round of betting begins. When the betting ends, the remaining player involved with the best "five" cards wins the pot.

Although there are seven cards in each persons hand (two pocket cards and the five board cards), only the five best cards are considered.

  • This is especially important when no one can beat the board.

  • For an example, if the five cards on the board were all spades, and two players left in the hand did not have a spade, the outcome would be a split pot.

  • Both players would get 50% if the pot and the next hand would begin.


You can learn how to play Texas Hold em in a few minutes and be playing fairly well with a few hours practice. In order to learn the game, however, you must play and you must play fairly often.

Article Source: http://www.mycontentbuilder.com

James Rice is an avid writer and a knowledgeable Texas hold em player providing tips and advice for those interested in playing Texas hold em. His articles found on the web, provide useful and accurate Texas hold em information and insight. To receive weekly tips and Holdem strategies you can find his newsletter at Learn to Win Holdem. How to Play Texas Holdem Best Poker

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