Dubbed the “King of Poker” Texas Hold’em poker is easily the most popular online card game because of its simplicity. It’s super easy to learn, which is probably why first-timers start their poker journey with this variant.
Texas Hold’em is also an excellent spectator game, so even if you’re not clued up, you’ll figure out what’s happening during a betting round soon enough. But first, learn how to play Texas Hold’em, the rules involved, and, most importantly, where to play it.
Texas Hold’em Poker Hands
Learning poker starts with understanding the poker hand rankings in Texas Hold’em. It’s here that you appreciate how hands are dealt during a round of betting and the order of play.
As we mentioned, 52 cards are used in poker, and they rank from high to low, i.e., Ace, Kings, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. A same suit comprises cards with the same symbol, and there are no rankings between the suits, meaning a Jack of hearts and spades are equal in hold em.
Players construct their poker hands by choosing the five best cards from the hole cards and community cards. A combination of hands in the higher category beats one with hands in the lower category in the final round of betting.
It’s also worth noting that these hand rankings aren’t necessarily exclusive to Texas Hold’em poker and apply to different poker games.
High Card
High card occurs when you have five unmatched cards in a betting round.
For instance, having a combination of an Ace, Jack of diamonds, 10 of spades, 5 of clubs, and 2 of hearts would be considered an “Ace-High”.
When comparing two high-card hands, the hand with the better highest card in a betting round wins. If the highest cards are equal, the second-highest cards are compared, and so on.
Pair
When you’re said to have a Pair when you play poker, you’ll have two cards of the same rank and three other cards. For instance, a 10 of hearts and a 10 of clubs with three other cards.
Two Pairs
Two pairs are when you have two cards of the same rank and two more same-rank cards (not necessarily the same suit).
An excellent example would be having an Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Clubs, and 7 of Spades.
Three-of-a-Kind
Three of a kind refers to having three cards from the same rank in poker games, for example, 8 of clubs, 8 of spades, and 8 of diamonds, plus two other cards.
Straight
A Straight in a poker betting round comprises any five cards of mixed suits in sequence suit, for example, a Queen of clubs, Jack of diamonds, 10 of hearts, 9 of spades, and 8 of diamonds.Flush
When you have a Flush, you’ll have five cards of the same suit. For example, an Ace, Jack, 8, 5, and 2 spades.
When comparing two Flushes, the highest card will determine which hand is higher. If the highest cards are equal, then the second-highest cards are compared.
Full House
A Full House has three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank. An example would be having three 7s and two 10s, also known as “Sevens on tens”’.
Four of a Kind
As the name suggests, having Four of a Kind would mean having four cards of the same rank, for instance, four Queens, while the 5th card can be anything. If there are two four-of-a-kind, the hand with a higher set of four cards wins. For instance, a 5-5-5-5-2 beats a 4-4-4-4-A.
Straight Flush
With a Straight Flush, you have five cards of the same suit, which must be consecutively ranked—for example, a 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 of clubs.
Royal Flush
The Royal Flush is the highest poker hand. You’ll have five cards of the same suit, for instance, an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of hearts. Because all suits are equal, it means all Royal Flushes are equal.
How many Hand Combinations are there in Texas Hold’em poker
As mentioned, there are numerous possible opening hand combinations in this game—1,326 to be exact. But because suits have no Texas Hold’em Poker, most of these hand combinations assume the same value before the Flop. After doing away with the similar hand combinations, we’re left with 169 starting hands, which is still quite a lot.
Because there are too many hands to mention, we’ll focus on the strongest four starting hand combinations:
- Top pairs: AA and KK are considered the premium starting hands in Texas Hold’em. You can play these pretty confidently Pre-flop. Following closely behind are QQ and JJ, the second-best pair for starting hands. Just be sure to proceed with caution, especially if you’re facing considerable Pre-flop aggression.
- Small pairs: Small to middle pairs such as 44 and 66 are ideal to play in a late position. That’s especially true when you see a cheap Flop and you’re attempting to hit a set on the Flop. However, it’s wise to fold against a Pre-Flop action.
- Suited connectors: These are basically cards with consecutive numbers, and in the same suit. It’s recommended to play these in Multi-way games (where you play against several opponents) and when you have a deep stack. You stand a chance to win massive pots against players with inferior hand combinations like a three of a kind.
- Suited aces: Hands like 4H and AH have the potential to make Straights, which can be profitable against inferior players with lower value flushes. Moreover, Suited aces work great as bluffing hands against Pre-Flop raises.
Limit, No Limit, Pot Limit, and Mixed Texas Hold’em Poker
Texas Hold’em Poker rules are pretty much the same whether you’re playing Limit, No- Limit, Pot-Limit, or Mixed Hold’em, albeit with a few nuances.
Limit Texas Hold’em
Betting in Limit Texas Hold’em happens in pre-determined amounts. Be it Pre-flop and on the Flop, all the bets and consequent raises have the same amount as the Big Blind. For On the Turn and the River, the bets and raises double. Up to four bets are permitted for each player in a betting round with Limit Hold’em. This encompasses a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) final raise.
No Limit Texas Hold’em
There’s no cap on the number of raises permitted in No Limit Texas Hold’em. Although the minimum bet is equal to the size of the Big Blind, players can bet as much as they want and even all of their chips. As for the minimum raise amount, it must be at least the same size as the previous wager or raise in the same round. The maximum raise is the size of your chips on the table.
Pot Limit Texas Hold’em
With Pot Limit Texas Hold’em, there’s also no limit on the number of raises permitted. The minimum wager is equal to the size of the Big Blind, but players are welcome to wager up to the pot size. The minimum raise must at least be the size of the former bet or raise, while the maximum is the size of the pot.
Mixed Texas Hold’em
In Mixed Texas Hold’em the game tends to switch between rounds of No Limit and Limit Texas Hold’em. And the betting rules are similar to the rules outlined above.
Conclusion
Texas Hold’em poker is one of the most popular poker variants. Renowned for its simplicity, the community game will have you competing against other people instead of the house, which makes it different. You have a good chance, odds, and probability of winning the game if you master the rules and with the help of a few strategies.
It’s always a good idea to try it out for free first before playing for real cash. Overall, though this game has a low house edge, and provides fast-paced fun for poker fans.
FAQs
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Ernest Masuka
Ernest Masuka
A Straight in a poker betting round comprises any five cards of mixed suits in sequence suit, for example, a Queen of clubs, Jack of diamonds, 10 of hearts, 9 of spades, and 8 of diamonds.
