Texas Hold’Em

Texas Hold’Em – the most popular poker version.
Every player gets two cards and may use any combination of all cards in the hands and a table.

Cards distribution

The pack consists of 52 cards (from 2 to Ace, without Jokers). From 2 to 10 people take part in the game.

The dealer gives out cards in casino. Texas Hold'em uses a small disc called the "dealer button" to indicate the dealer of each hand. Once a hand is completed, the dealer button moves clockwise to the next player. Every player gets two blind cards (hole cards).


The player to the left of the dealer button is required to place the "small blind" (usually equal to half the lower stake) and the next player to the left is required to place the "big blind" (equal to the minimal bet). Sometimes (equal to the minimal bet) before game starting all players have to put ante.

The First Betting Round: Pre-Flop

The round starting with the player to the left of the "big blind". The player has the option to call, raise or fold

  1. To “fold”. A player must "fold" or forfeit his hand if he/she doesn’t want to match the current bet in the pot. Those who fold won’t take part in auction anymore till finishing of distribution;
  2. To "call" is to bet the same as the previous player. If the first player folds, then the next player will have the option to bet while the remaining players can call;
  3. To “rise”. A player can raise the bet depending on table rules. (NL, FL, PL).


Next players can do the same actions. After rise players can make the bet higher (re-raise). The quantity of re-raise depends on table rules (NL, FL, PL). All players must put the same quantity of chips. Those chips are put into the pot and move to the center of the table. Chips are considered to be added to the pot immediately after the bet.

If there was not rise a player, who made big blind, can make check instead of call, in other words he can skip his own turn without raising the bet and folding cards.

The Second Betting Round: Flop

Dealer without opening put the top card to the center of the table (to other cards). He makes that for showing that the top card is not marked. Then dealer takes three top cards and puts them to the center of the table and open. Those three cards are called flop. Usually they are common and all players can use them for making combination. Then the second betting round begins.

The first player to the left of the dealer button and who made small blind is the first to act. If he fold cards before the next player acts (clockwise). The player who starts the second betting round can make:

  1. fold
  2. check (pass his motion)
  3. bet

Betting Round is continuing till all players put the same quantity of chips and say “check”.

The Third Betting Round: Turn

Dealer without opening puts the top card to the center of the table (to other cards). Then dealer opens one more common card and put it to the left of flop. This card is called turn. Then the third betting round begins for the same scheme.

The Forth Betting Round: River

Dealer without opening put the top card to the center of the table (to another cards). Then dealer opens one more common card and put it to the left of turn. This card is called river.

Then the forth betting round begins for the same scheme. After finishing betting rounds players open their cards by turns. The first player who shows his card is that who raised the bet last time. If there wasn’t raise or bet, the first player who opens cards is that who said “check” last time. The player with the weakest combination may not show his cards.

He has the right to fold his cards without opening them (muck). Muck is a special place on the table for fold cards. The player with the best combination wins and takes the pot.

If players have the same hands they can divide the pot. If the pot can’t be divided into two parts, then the player who opened cards first takes the rest (for example, 0.01 US dollar).

The deal is over. Dealer moves button chips clockwise to the next player. The pack is mixed and the dealer begins to give out again.

Note:

During the game one specific situation may arise: the player does not have enough chips to play back after the previous bat. In such case the player does not have to fold cards, he may do all-in. So the next prize is allocated in such a way:

- with two players: Dealer takes the chips from the bet of the first player, this bet must be equal to the stack (general quantity of player’s chips) of the second player, who goes all-in and puts into pot with the chips of the second player. Extra chips from the bet of the first player come back to him. Presented is true for cases when some players go after “all-in” and their stakes are absolutely equal.

- with three or more players with unequal stacks: Dealer takes the chips from every player who made all-in, and those chips must be equal with chips of the player with the smallest stack among these players and put all these chips to the main pot.

Then dealer takes the smallest balance from these bets and takes equivalent sum from another player’s bets and all those chips he add to the side pot. There may be some side pots. So the next prize is allocated in such a way:

If the player with the smallest stack has the best hand, he takes only the main pot, and all side pots are played without his participation.

If the player with the second smallest stack has the best hand, he takes only the main pot and the first side pot (¹2), and all the remaining pots are played without his participation.

Accordingly, if the player with the highest stacks has the best hand, this player takes all chips from all pots.

If all players who take part in cards distribution go all-in (betting rounds can’t be anymore), Then cards will open immediately, but not after river betting rounds.

If nobody supports the bet (even if it is big blind), the player who made the bet last time gets the pot. He may not open his cards.