Playing instructions for Texas Hold'em
Texas hold'em is played with each player holding two cards on their hand and five cards are placed open on the board. The goal is to combine the two pocket cards with the five cards on the table and make the best poker hand (five cards). Texas Hold'em is usually played with fixed limit structure or no limit structure. Both forms are popular, the no limit structure is often used in tournaments, which is more unusual for the fixed limit structure. Texas Hold'em can also be played in pot limit structure, but more common in Europe than USA.
Texas Hold'em is played with blinds, which means that the two players to the immediate left of the dealer places blinds before the start of a hand. There's usually a small and a big blind. The small blind is the size of half the big blind. Placing blinds means that the game has been opened and is meant to increase action. The dealer is represented by a white plate called dealer button, for example if the game is played in a casino there's a dealer that shuffles and deals the card but isn't involved in the game. The dealer button is then at the player who would have dealt the cards hadn't there been a hired dealer. The dealer button moves around clockwise and is always the last position.
In Texas Hold'em fixed limit one bet and three raises are allowed before betting is capped. There is a total of four betting rounds in Texas Hold'em, in the first two rounds players bet small bets and big bets on the last two betting rounds. The size of the small bets are half the size of the big bet. In Texas Hold'em no limit a player may bet or raise any amount up to what is left in front of him or her. One important notice on no limit, a player may not bet less than the minimum wager, which is the size of the big blind or bet less than a previous bettor or raiser.
First, the two players to the immediate left of the dealer button post the blinds, the first player posts the small blind and the second player the big blind. The dealer gives each player two cards one at a time in clockwise. Betting then starts with the player to the left of the big blind making the first move, since the game has already been opened by the big blind it's the player to the left that is first. Each player make their moves, which is fold, call or raise and the big blind is the last player on the first betting round. The big blind may also check if the pot hasn't been raised earlier.
The dealer then places three cards up in the middle of the table, these cards are known as the flop. Another betting starts and the players still in the pot make their moves. When the betting is completed the dealer places a fourth open card on the table and a new betting round starts. The fourth card is known as the turn. After the betting has been done the dealer places a fifth and final card open on the table. The players bet, call, fold, check or raise as usual and when the last player has acted the players show their cards and the best poker hand wins the pot.
