The Pack
The standard 52 card pack is used.
Poker Hands
Five of a Kind - This is the
highest possible hand and 2️⃣ can occur only where at least one card is wild, such as a
joker. Examples of five of a kind 2️⃣ would be four 10s and a wild card or two queens and
three wild cards.
Straight Flush - This is the 2️⃣ highest possible hand when only the
standard pack is used, and there are no wild cards. A straight flush consists 2️⃣ of five
cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts.
Four of a 2️⃣ Kind -
This is the next highest hand. An example is four aces or four 3s.
Full House - This
colorful 2️⃣ hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such
as three 8s 2️⃣ and two 4s.
Flush - Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in
sequence, is a flush. An 2️⃣ example is Q, 10, 7, 6, and 2 of clubs.
Straight - Five cards
in sequence, but not all of the 2️⃣ same suit is a straight. An example is 9♥, 8♣, 7♠, 6♦,
5♥.
Three of a Kind - This combination contains 2️⃣ three cards of the same rank, and the
other two cards each of a different rank, such as three jacks, 2️⃣ a seven, and a four.
Two
Pairs - This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a 2️⃣ different rank,
plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 4.
One Pair - This
2️⃣ frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of
different rank. An example is 10, 10, 2️⃣ K, 4, 3.
No Pair - This very common hand contains
"nothing." None of the five cards pair up, nor are 2️⃣ all five cards of the same suit or
consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the 2️⃣ hands are rated by the
highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and
2️⃣ so on.
Object of the Game
Before and after each card(s) is revealed, players take turns
to bet. To stay in the 2️⃣ hand and see the next card, all players must have put the same
amount of chips in the pot as 2️⃣ each other.
The best poker hand wins the pot.
The
Deal
Every player is dealt two cards, for their eyes only.
The dealer spreads 2️⃣ five
cards - three at once, then another, then another - which can be used by all players to
make 2️⃣ their best possible five-card hand.
The Play
In Hold'em, each player is dealt two
private cards (known as ‘hole cards’) that belong 2️⃣ to them alone. Five community cards
are dealt face-up, to form the ‘board’. All players in the game use these 2️⃣ shared
community cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to each make their best
possible five-card poker hand. In 2️⃣ Hold'em, a player may use any combination of the
seven cards available to make the best possible five-card poker hand, 2️⃣ using zero, one
or two of their private hole cards.
The Blinds
In Hold'em, a marker called ‘the button’
or ‘the dealer 2️⃣ button’ indicates which player is the dealer for the current game.
Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from 2️⃣ the button posts the
"small blind", the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small
blind posts the 2️⃣ "big blind", which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but
the blinds can vary depending on the 2️⃣ stakes and betting structure being played.
In
Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the 2️⃣ small blind is
typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For
2️⃣ example, in aR$2/$4 Limit game the small blind isR$1 and the big blind isR$2. In
aR$15/$30 Limit game, the small 2️⃣ blind isR$10 and the big blind isR$15.
In Pot Limit and
No Limit games, the games are referred to by the 2️⃣ size of their blinds (for example,
aR$1/$2 Hold’em game has a small blind ofR$1 and a big blind ofR$2).
Depending on 2️⃣ the
exact structure of the game, each player may also be required to post an ‘ante’
(another type of forced 2️⃣ bet, usually smaller than either blind, posted by all players
at the table) into the pot.
Now, each player receives his 2️⃣ or her two hole cards.
Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the
gun’ (immediately 2️⃣ clockwise from the big blind).
Player Betting Options
In Hold'em, as
with other forms of poker, the available actions are ‘fold’, ‘check’, 2️⃣ ‘bet’, ‘call’ or
‘raise’. Exactly which options are available depends on the action taken by the
previous players. If nobody 2️⃣ has yet made a bet, then a player may either check (decline
to bet, but keep their cards) or bet. 2️⃣ If a player has bet, then subsequent players can
fold, call or raise. To call is to match the amount 2️⃣ the previous player has bet. To
raise is to not only match the previous bet, but to also increase it.
Pre-Flop
After
2️⃣ seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by
calling 2️⃣ or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which
is considered a ‘live’ 2️⃣ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or
raise. For example, if the big blind 2️⃣ wasR$2, it would costR$2 to call, or at leastR$4
to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.
Betting continues on 2️⃣ each
betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in
the pot.
The Flop
Now, three 2️⃣ cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as
‘the flop’. In Hold'em, the three cards on the 2️⃣ flop are community cards, available to
all players still in the hand. Betting on the flop begins with the active 2️⃣ player
immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop,
however if nobody has previously bet, players 2️⃣ may opt to check, passing the action to
the next active player clockwise.
The Turn
When the betting action is completed for 2️⃣ the
flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community
card in Hold'em 2️⃣ (and is sometimes also called ‘Fourth Street’). Another round of
betting ensues, beginning with the active player immediately clockwise from 2️⃣ the
button.
The River
When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ or
‘Fifth Street’ is dealt face-up on 2️⃣ the board. The river is the fifth and final
community card in a Hold'em game. Betting again begins with the 2️⃣ active player
immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for
the flop and 2️⃣ turn, as explained above.
The Showdown
If there is more than one remaining
player when the final betting round is complete, the 2️⃣ last person to bet or raise shows
their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which 2️⃣ case the player
immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best
five-card poker hand 2️⃣ wins the pot. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be
equally divided between the players with the 2️⃣ best hands. Hold'em rules state that all
suits are equal.
After the pot is awarded, a new hand of Hold'em is 2️⃣ ready to be played.
The button now moves clockwise to the next player, blinds and antes are once again
posted, 2️⃣ and new hands are dealt to each player.
