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Texas Holdem
Texas Holdem is a poker game for two to ten players. Legend has it that it has its origins in a cowboy shack in the area of Corpus Christi, Texas around the time of World War I. There, one wanted to have a poker game in which all present 16 men could participate at the same time. Therefore the idea to share five cards by all players, and to deal everyone only two own cards. There are no discarded cards one has to keep in mind, and Texas Holdem can therefore appear uncomplicated. Appearances are deceiving. One can indeed understand the rules in a short time, but needs a whole life to master the game. First, Texas Holdem spread out among the professional poker players in the USA, but with the World Series of Poker (corresponds approximately a poker world championship), which started in the 1970ties, this type became known to a broader audience.
Already in the 1960ties it was played in Europe, for example in illegal poker clubs in Stockholm, but Texas Holdem was not the most popular type in Europe until there were television broadcasts and Internet poker. Every player gets two cards, which are called Pocket cards. It is regarded as good manners, not to remove them from the table. Television broadcasts became that successful in the late 1990ties, because little cameras were built into the tables, so that these pocket cards were visible to the viewers, even if the players lifted the cards only shortly for a glance. These Pocket cards are combined with the five community cards that lie face-up on the table.
Course of the game
- The Dealer. The cards are dealt clockwise. The player assigned to be the dealer for one round is mostly marked by a round “D” on the table. The players change clockwise to be dealer.
- Blinds. Before the cards are dealt, the player sitting left from the dealer has to bet the Small Blind and the player to the left hereof has to bet the Big Blind. The Small Blind is half as big as the Big Blind. Through this, the pot is established and the other players have a betting incentive. The name “Blinds” refers hereon, that bets have to be placed, before a card is revealed.
- Dealing. Every player is dealt two pocket cards.
- Betting. Now, a betting round is starting with the player sitting three places left from the dealer (thus left from the player that had to place the Big Blind). Depending on what action has taken place in the round before (within the game limit and the table stakes), one can discard, check, hold, or raise. Such a round can run around the table a few times, if it is raised and raised again. It is finished not until all players have either held the last bet or have discarded.
- The Flop. Next is the flop, where three cards are put on the table face up. After that comes another betting round.
- The Turn. Next is the Flop, for what the fourth community card is revealed next to the Flop. A third betting round follows.
- The River. The last community card, called River, is revealed next to the Flop. The last betting round follows.
- The Showdown. Then the Showdown is carried out, where the best five cards, which can be assembled by the remaining players through the combination of their two Pocket cards and the five community cards, are compared. The player with the highest valence wins the pot. Every now and then, two players have a hand with the same valence. In this case, the pot is split.
- Next Round. After the pot was shared, the dealer button devolves to the next player to the left (clockwise). The players left from the new dealer place their Blinds, so that the cards for the next round can be dealt.
Types
You can play Texas Holdem in the versions No Limit, Pot Limit, and Limit. With the former, the player can bet any amount within the minimum stakes (to the amount of the Big Blind) and the amount the player has at his deposal at the table, respectively he can raise by this amount. With Pot Limit the amount of the pot defines the maximum limit. With Limit, either a fixed amount (appropriate to the Big Blind) can be bet or raised by this amount. In the rounds after the Turn and after the River, mostly the double amount is used. Usually it is only allowed to bet or raise four times per betting round with Limit. If a player is all-in (bets his entire stakes), then he only plays up to his betted amount. All further stakes of the other players are played in a side pot, which the All-In player can’t win.
Tactics and Strategy
- Basic Texas Holdem strategy: tight but aggressive, that is to play only few hands, but to take over control in these cases. The hand winning the most frequently with seven players is two Pair; three with ten players.
- Texas Holdem is mainly a game about high cards.
- With the 10 best combinations of Pocket cards, one should raise before the Flop. The best 10 are:
- AA
- KK
- QQ
- AK (same color)
- JJ
- 10-10
- AK (unequal color)
- 9-9
- 8-8
- The place at the table is important for tactical considerations
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