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Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold’em is today one of the most played variants in poker. It is a game that does not require a good gut feeling, but rather a logical mindset and statistical calculations.

If you are new to the gaming world, the rules of poker and not least the professional concepts can be difficult to keep track of. Moreover, it is difficult to give a guide on how to play. Much of good advice depends on the situation you are in. But you can go a long way with a good understanding, thorough preparation and a good strategy. And soon you will experience the rush of completing a successful poker game.

What is Texas Hold'em?

Texas Hold’em is among the most popular poker games in the world. The game of poker had a slow start in the industry but has subsequently evolved and become one of the most played poker games. As the name suggests, the game originated in Texas in the early 1900s. However, it can be traced back to the twentieth century. In 1967, the two poker legends Amarillo Slim and Doyle Brunson introduced the game in Vegas. After the introduction, things moved quickly, and the game of poker gained ground with other big poker players.

In 1972, the Texas Hold’em World Championships were held for the first time. Since then, the number of participants has increased steadily. Today, Texas Hold’em is played at various casinos, poker clubs and online around the world. Especially online, the game has grown big. The poker game is one of the most common games associated with tournaments and cash games.

These are the biggest international poker series that host main tournaments in Texas Hold’em. When a main tournament is held, the game is broadcast almost daily.

The purpose of Texas Hold'em is simple

The purpose of Texas Hold’em is to win as many chips as you can. You do this by forming the best poker hand. This must be done in a combination of two cards you are assigned and five community cards placed on the table. The two cards that are your own are called hole cards. And the five community cards are called community cards.

You have a total of four bidding rounds to make the best hand. When one hand is finished, the dealer will deal cards and the next hand will start. When one player is left with all the chips, the game is settled.

Texas Hold’em can be played with different bid structures. You can choose from:

  • No Limit
  • All in.


The most prominent today is ‘No Limit’. The characteristic of this form of bidding is that there is no ceiling. You can bid on whatever you want. The dispute is that one bad decision can have a decisive impact on the rest of the game. Conversely, one good decision can make you a winner. If you choose to go all the way, it means that you will only lose the chips that you have in front of you. It also means that an opposing player will only be able to win the same number of chips.

What you need to know before you begin

Before we give you a rundown of the game, there are some concepts and a game understanding you must have. When playing Texas Hold’em, the rules are relatively simple.

First, players take turns being a dealer. The dealer is indicated by a so-called dealer button or marked with a symbol. It is often a piece with the letter B. The dealer button or piece is given to one of the players at the start. With each game, there is a shift in a clockwise direction, with the dealer button moving a seat. The purpose of this reshuffle is for all players to play on a level playing field.

In addition, you should know that the pot is the total amount that participants have put on the table in each bidding round. Even if you have bad cards compared to the five community cards, you still have the opportunity to win. As long as you know the game and know what to do when the cards are given.

Before you are awarded cards, you must pay for your blinds. Depending on where you sit at the table, you are referred to as the small blind or big blind. The player to the left of the dealer is the small blind. And the player sitting next must put a big blind. That is two seats from the dealer. Only those players who are small or big blind, respectively, have to put in the effort.

The bet is the minimum bet at the game. The player, who is a small blind, must pay half of the minimum bet, while the big blind must pay the minimum bet. And now the game can start.

Texas Hold'em Rules

Just like in any other poker game, we know there’s a lot to keep track of. Therefore, we give you a review of how a hand proceeds.

  1. The dealer button must be placed. At each round, a player is selected as a dealer.

  2. Blinds are paid. These are the two forced bets in the game.

  3. Players are dealt cards. The dealer deals two cards to each player. These cards are personal and may only be viewed by the player who has been dealt them.

  4. The first round of bidding. Also called the pre-flop. The bidding round starts with the player, who sits after the big blind. As a player, you have four options. To fold, check, call or raise.

  5. The flop is given. Now the so-called flop is happening. Here, three out of the five community cards with the face are turned up. Now the second round of bidding starts. Here it is the player after the dealer button who must start.

  6. The turn card is given. Another community card is turned over. Then comes the third round of bidding.

  7. The River card is given. The last community card is now being turned over. Now the final bidding round happens and is carried out like the previous bidding rounds.

  8. If there are two or more players who still have cards in their hands after the last bidding round, the winner will be decided by a so-called showdown. Each player must display his cards by placing the cards face up. The player holding the best poker hand wins the pot.

  9. The procedure is continued. When a hand is finished, the dealer button moves its seat. And the game starts again.

And so it goes on until the game is decided by the player’s number of chips.

You have these options in a bidding round

If you are new to the field, we know that there are many incomprehensible concepts. We are now trying to sort them out. In general, the four bidding rounds should help you assess your chances of being the player with the best poker hand. As I said, you can make one of the following four decisions:

Raise – You increase the current bet. All players must call on the new amount if they want to continue to be in the game.

Call – You go along. That is, you match the bet that has just been put on the table.

Fold – You give up the chance to be in the current pot. If you report folds in the pre-flop, you are out in the three subsequent bidding rounds.

Check – If none of the other players has placed a bet when it’s your turn, you can report a check. You can only do that if you don’t want to make an effort yourself. And then the trip goes on.

If one or more players choose to raise, the bidding round will continue until a player reports the call or folds. A player may not raise twice in a row unless another player has raised occasionally.

In each bidding round, assess whether you have the best hand. If during a bidding round, you don’t think you have the best hand, you can fold.

Play with humility as a beginner

If you’re a beginner in Texas Hold’em, the following tips may be good to keep in mind. As you gain more experience with the game, you can play according to more professional strategies. But as a beginner, it’s about being humble so you don’t overachieve. We recommend that you think about five of the following tips:

  1. Do not play too many hands before the flop.
  2. Don’t take your hands too far after the flop.
  3. Never play from a gut feeling.
  4. Be in control of your emotions.
  5. Think long-term and forward.

The first piece of advice is often what causes problems for a beginner. It is recommended that you only play with strong starting cards. And the cards that give you the best chance of winning. The more hands you play before the flop, the harder it is to make decisions after the flop. For point two, only continue with your hand if you think it has a good chance of winning.

If you continue with a bad hand, you risk losing it all. Only the best cards can handle a third bidding round. And if you do not know the game or can read the other players, you can quickly lose a larger amount of money.

When playing poker, remember that it is a mathematical game. It is a game in which you should be able to calculate chances. And keep a certain and not least realistic statistic. Many tend to think “I believe I can outplay him after the flop. Even if it’s risky” and “If I get a good flop, I can…”. But our advice is not to.

If you want to play poker on a reasonable level, it’s important that you learn how to calculate your odds. It’s not something you can quickly do during a game.

We know that poker can be a stressful game. Losing a few hands in a row can be nerve-wracking. But don’t show it. And again, it’s important that you don’t act rashly. Because it is precisely in these cases that you often make mistakes. If you start using your emotions to play, you displace the rational mindset. Moreover, your emotions affect how the other players read you. And this is no benefit to you.

Think in terms of decisions rather than results

As a final reminder, you will eventually experience losing a good hand. Therefore, it is about thinking long-term. Even if you have done everything correctly, you can still lose. Here it is no use thinking about what you could have done differently. But think ahead. If you play your cards correctly every time, you will be able to win in the long run.

It is therefore important that you do not think about the results. Have your focus on how you play. And how you make individual decisions. Becoming a good poker player requires experience. And you only get it in the following way: thorough preparation, curious interest and commitment.

And remember, the seasoned players know what it’s like to be a beginner. They know what to do if they’re going to hit you. And that’s another reason to be in control of your emotions and hide away your otherwise good gut feeling.

Play with The 5 Golden

When playing Texas Hold’em, there are many strategies that you can choose to go by. Depending on how and where you play, use different strategies. For example, if you are going to play in a tournament, you should not only apply the five golden rules.

The following is both for you who are beginner and experienced. The principles are essentially the same as we have been through. But the following is more technical and the knowledge you need to be able to play correctly.

A poker strategy is several things overall. But these are exactly the aspects you need to know if you want a good plan:

  • Starting hands
  • Bet sizes
  • The art of creeping
  • Throw away your cards at the right time

Just like if you’re a beginner, it’s all about playing your hand correctly. Not too much before the flop, but also not too much after. It’s your starting hands that determine the outcome of the game.

Keep track of bet sizes and your position

There is a difference between the bet sizes before and after the flop. If it’s before the flop, keep an eye out for what’s happening at the table. As a beginner, you have to stick to what is the standard. If you choose to raise the stake too much before the flop, it can cause more players to call too early. And no one has any interest in that.

After the flop, the bet size is another talk. If you raised the bet before the flop, it is recommended that you proceed with a corresponding bet. Since you want your players to think you have good cards, it’s a balance. If you raise the bet too little, you may risk someone raising the bet further. If you withdraw too much, you may have tied yourself to a pot you cannot win.

The bet size before and after the flop also affects where you sit at the table. If you have a better position than your opponents, you are already off to a good start. A good position is, for example, if you are sitting after your fellow players. Then you can see what they do and play accordingly.

A good position allows, among other things:

  • to play more hands for profit after the flop.
  • to attack those who are blind with a wider range.

The above is possible because you can expand your range of hands. And it happens because you can see what happened before it’s your turn in the game.

When should I bluff in Texas Hold'em?

Of course, when playing, you can always bluff. And that’s one of the hallmarks of poker. And that’s exactly why you need to be good at reading your fellow players.

In some cases, bluffing is a good idea, while in others it’s a bad decision. If you choose to bluff, you often sit with a bad hand. Or a relatively bad hand. If you do make or go along with a high bet, you’re bluffing.

You send more signals to the other players when you choose to bluff. First of all, you are trying to scare the other players. And especially those who have a possibly better hand than you. You try to show that you are the one with the best hand. And if you radiate confidence, it can be difficult for others to figure out.

And that is precisely the purpose of bluffing. You have to try to get the other players to fold and win the pot. However, keep in mind that it can be risky. And if you do it too many times, there is a risk that the other players will eventually see through you.

We hope you feel ready to move into the world of poker. With a good understanding and a good deal of self-confidence. And not least to become part of many Texas Hold’em poker games – both at casinos and online.