HOW TO PLAY TEXAS HOLDEM (POKER)

THE BASICS

What is Texas Holdem?
Regarded as one of the more popular forms of poker, its a card game where you try to form the best five-
card hand possible out of two cards in your hand and the five on the table.

What are the possible denominations? (i.e. what are the possible hands you can have?)
Royal Flush > Straight Flush > Four of a Kind > Full House > Flush > Straight > Three of a Kind >
Two Pair > Pair > High Card

*extraneous information on odds:
1.54 * 10
-4
% RF (~650,000:1)
1.39 * 10
-3
% SF (~72,000:1)
2.40 * 10
-2
% 4K (~4,100:1)
1.44 * 10
-1
% FH
2.87 * 10
-0
% 3K (46.3:1)
What are the possible actions in Poker?
Check, Fold, Call, Bet, or Raise

What are blinds?
Actions forced upon the two players left of the dealer

Big Blind is the minimum bet, the Small Blind is half of the Big Blind

What are side pots?
Side pots occur when (out of Players A, B, and C) Player A goes all in and Players B and C match and
still have chips. Players B and C can continue betting into a side pot which is contested solely between
themselves.

GAMEPLAY

*Two players left of the dealer become little blind and big blind, putting in the prereq bets respectively.

*Cards are dealt, one at a time, in a clockwise fashion until each player has two cards.

*Betting/call round is initiated by the active player left of the dealer.

*Players decide their actionsall players that want to stay in must at least call the big blind (if no one
raises).

*One card is burned, and three cards are placed face up (called the flop). All active players choose
actions.

*Dealer burns one more card before placing another up (called the turn). Active players choose actions.

*Dealer burns one last card before placing the final card face up (called The River). Active players
choose actions.

*Cards are revealed.