No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Poker Basic RulesBefore the game begins properly, a card is dealt to all players face up, and the highest card deals first. If 2 are the same then another card is dealt to each player until one has the highest card. The dealer now deals 2 cards to each player, one at a time of course. The player to the left of the dealer has to put in the small blind and the player to the left of the small blind has to put in the big blind. The blinds are compulsory bets that get the action started. They usually start small and increase as the game goes on to keep the action moving. The big blind is usually twice the amount of the small blind. The betting then starts to the left of the big blind. The player has to bet on the 2 cards he has and decide whether to call (match) the big blind, fold his cards or raise the bet. Each player then has to match the largest bet to stay in the pot, raise it or fold. If the pot is not raised, then the big blind either has the option to check (which is no bet) or raise. Once this first round of betting is over, the dealer burns one card under the chips from the top of the deck of cards and then turns 3 cards over, called the flop. Another round of betting now begins to the left of the dealer this time. This person can either check or bet. Subsequent players can then either check, raise or fold. They can only check if all other players in the round of betting before them have checked. Once all bets have been matched, the dealer burns another card under the chips and another card is turned over, called the turn. Another round of betting takes place and once all bets have been matched, the dealer burns another card under the chips and the final community card is turned over, called the river. A final round of betting now takes place and providing all bets are matched by all players still in, the players show their cards and the best hand, using 5 of the 7 cards available, wins the pot. Sometimes the hands are the same and the pot is split. Also, when some people have gone "all-in" (meaning they have bet all of their chips), other players may have put more chips into the pot. If someone has gone all-in and they win the pot then they can only win the same size of their bet off each player who was still in the hand e.g. if player 1 goes all in for 1000 chips, but players 2 and 3 have gone all-in for 2000 chips, and player 1 has the best hand then player 1 will only win 3000 chips (his own 1000 chips plus 1000 chips each off players 2 and 3). The remaining 2000 chips will be in a sidepot and the second best hand will win this pot. Players can also win the pot if they raise in any of the betting rounds and nobody matches their bet. The order of winning hands: ROYAL FLUSH Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of the same suit. STRAIGHT FLUSH Any other five cards of the same suit in order e.g. 3,4,5,6,7 of diamonds FOUR OF A KIND Four cards of the same denomination e.g. four Kings FULL HOUSE Three of one and two of another e.g. three Jacks and two 4s FLUSH Five cards of the same suit e.g. 2, 3, 6, 10, Ace of hearts STRAIGHT Five cards of any suit in order e.g. 2 diamonds, 3 hearts, 4 clubs, 5 diamonds, 6 clubs THREE OF A KIND Three cards of the same denomination e.g. three 5s TWO PAIR Two pairs e.g. two Kings and two 3s PAIR A pair e.g. two Aces HIGH CARD The highest card available of the cards. If this is the same, then second highest card etc. In the above hands, higher cards win i.e. if someone has four 9s and someone else has four Kings, the four Kings win. With a Full House, the higher three wins, e.g. if someone has three Jacks and someone else three 9s, the full house with the three Jacks wins. In a flush the player with the highest card in the flush wins if 2 people have a flush. In two pair, two Aces and two 2s would beat two Kings and two Queens. |
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