Texas Hold’em is one of the most popular variants of poker. Although little is known about the exact origins of the game, most people believe that the game was invented in the town of Robstown in Texas, back in the early 1900s. In 1967, it caught the attention of Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, and Crandell Addington, who introduced Texas Hold’em outside of Texas and into the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas.
Even if you’re not aiming to play in the big leagues and you just want to play card games with some friends, learning how to play poker can be fun. Here’s a quick beginner’s guide to playing Texas Hold’em.
How To Play Texas Hold’em
In learning how to play Texas Hold’em, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of the game. Texas Hold’em can be played between two to twenty-two players, with most games having six to ten players per match. A game of Texas Hold’em moves clockwise around the table, starting the action to the left side of the dealer. The first two players sitting to the dealer’s immediate left are required to post a small blind and a big blind, which are mandatory for the players to initiate the game.
From there, the dealer gives each player a starting hand of two cards facedown, also known as hole cards. Players can look at their cards from this point but may not show them to other players. Over several game rounds, five more cards are eventually dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are the community cards that each player is free to use to create winning combinations with their hole cards to build a five-card poker hand. Your mission is to construct five-card poker hands using the best available five cards out of the seven total cards, which are your two-hole cards and the five community cards.
After the final round of the game, the remaining players need to show down their cards. The one with the highest-ranking five-card poker hand wins the game. However, having the best five-card poker hand is not the only way to win the game. Sometimes, if the match causes all but one player to fold, the remaining player wins the pot without showing any cards. This is why it’s always possible for a player to bluff during the match and get other players to fold better hands.
Strategies For Texas Hold’em
Understand your opponents
One of the skills you need to learn is reading your opponent’s habits and actions. Shane Ryan explained how following the subconscious patterns of players can give you an idea of whether or not they have winning cards. For example, knowing the amount of time it takes a player to make his move and having them miss it can be a tell-tale sign that your opponent is holding a weak hand or a draw. It’s because most players will take their time when making big moves. It’s still important to remember that there’s no universal way to determine whether the opponent is bluffing.
Learn to concentrate
Playing Texas Hold’em requires you to remain focused to make the best decisions throughout the game. When you’re focused on every move in the game and carefully observe your opponent’s actions, you can make yourself win more matches. Some other games will directly improve your concentration and strategy skills at poker, such as chess, crossword puzzles, and word searches. If you do choose to give chess a go, it might be worth checking out our article titled 6 FAQs About the Game of Chess to get you started.