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Texas Hold'em: Texas is a very popular poker
game, and one of the most requested at events. In a game
of Texas Hold’em, each player will get dealt two cards
down (called “hole” cards). There will be a round of
betting, and then three cards will get dealt into the
center of the table (called the “flop”). These cards are
community cards and are usable by anyone still playing.
A round of betting follows the flop. The next card
(called the “turn”) will be dealt into the community
pool, followed by another round of betting. One last
card (called the “river”) will get dealt into the pool,
and there will be one last round of betting.
Texas is a seven card game, which means there are
seven cards at your disposal for you to use to make a
five-card hand. You can use both of your hole cards, or
just one. In the rare case that the community pool makes
the best hand (without using any hole cards at all),
then you don’t have to use any of your own cards at all…
But then, we get into splitting pots and so forth.
Texas has the fun fact that whatever is in the center
of the table has the potential for becoming the best
five-card hand possible among all the players. In the
case where the pool is the best hand (i.e., the pool
miraculously shows a flush and no one can beat that or
add a good card to the flush) then all the players still
in at the table will split the pot evenly.
The rounds go as such:
Blinds + Deal of Two Hole Cards
Round of Betting
Deal of Three Community Cards (Flop)
Round of Betting
Deal of One Community Card (Turn)
Round of Betting
Deal of One Community Card (River)
Round of Betting
As you will notice, blinds are used. I made mention
on the Poker Main Page that I would illustrate the use
of blinds, and so I shall. Since Texas Hold’em almost
always is played with blinds, this is the perfect time
to do so.
Blinds are blind bets placed by two players at the
start of each round (these two people rotate clockwise
around the table so that everyone has a chance to put in
blind money). What do I mean by blind bets? Well, these
two people are committed to having their money in the
game before the cards for the first round are even
looked at.
One person will be the big blind, and they will put
in the full opening amount for the first round (an
amount is set before the round begins—usually at a
Jackpot Casino Events party, the amount for the big
blind is “200,” although how big a blind or ante is can
be up to the discretion of the players). This amount is
the minimum amount that must be put in by any player
staying in past the first round. So if someone besides
the big blind or small blind wants to stay in, they have
to put in at least “200” (although they can bet
more—poker is all about putting money into the pot). The
small blind is half the big blind (so with a “200” big
blind, the small blind would be “100”). The small blind,
on their turn, simply has to meet the amount in the pot
(if no one bets more, then that’s the “200” for the big
blind), counting whatever is already in for their blind
(thus, since they have “100” already in, and the bet is
“200” from the big blind, they have to put in just
another “100”).
That sounds confusing I know, so we have pictures to
illustrate:
This is the basic table setup before the round
starts. As you will notice, one person is the big blind,
and they have a "200" bet. The small blind is directly
to their left, and as small blind, they have a blind
half the size of the big blind, a "100" bet.
The cards are delt, and the player to the right of
the big blind starts the round.
He matches the bet of the big blind.
The next around the table (who was also the dealer)
similarly matches the bet.
As we can see, the stay in, the small blind simply
has to put in "100" more to match the big blind, since
his small blind covered half the bet before the round
even started. Now, if he wanted to "fold" out of the
hand, he would lose his small blind.
And, unless the person at the big blind wants to bet
more than his "200," he can simply "check" and allow the
next round of cards to start up.
And that’s the long and the short of the game of
Texas.
Omaha: Omaha is a Texas Hold’em variant.
Instead of two hole cards, players are dealt four. Along
with that, the biggest difference is that players must
use two cards from their hand along with three cards
from the community pool. It still has the same betting
and dealing rounds for the community.
The fact that players must use two cards from their
hand completely removes the chance that the pool will
have the best hand (thus making everyone tie). Ties are
still possible, although a little less likely (such as
two different players having the exact same best hand).
The rounds go as such:
Blinds + Deal of Four Hole Cards
Round of Betting
Deal of Three Community Cards (Flop)
Round of Betting
Deal of One Community Card (Turn)
Round of Betting
Deal of One Community Card (River)
Round of Betting
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