The Basics Of Hold'Em

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Holdem Poker Rules

1. Player with highest hand wins
   
2. Players may use one, both or neither of their hole cards to make their highest hand combining them with the community cards.
   
3. Ace plays both as a high and low card for straights.
   
4. Three raise limit per round
   
5. Cards speak

Card Distribution and Betting Procedure

Typical Holdem hand with community cards

Example: $2/$4 Hold'em with a double blind. At casino Hold'em tables, a round plastic marker called the dealer "button" is placed in front of the player who would be dealing if a house dealer were not provided. The button is moved one seat clockwise after each game and the card distribution and betting starts to the left of that position.

Each player is dealt two cards face down. Then, a total of five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table in three betting segments (3-1-1). After all the cards are dealt the players make the best hand that they can by combining either one, both, or neither of their two hole cards with five community cards. Using the illustration above, a player holding a king and a ten would end up with two pair, kings over tens with an ace. With this board, that player's two pair would be vulnerable to higher two pairs, trips, straights and flushes.

. . . The betting procedure goes like this:

(1.) Before each player is dealt two down cards, the player at the immediate left of the button, called the "Small Blind" is forced to bet $1 (half the minimum bet). Then the player to his left and two seats to the left of the button, called the"Big Blind", is forced to bet $2. Each player is then dealt a two card hand. Then the player at the left of the big blind is first to act and he must either call the big blind's $2 bet, raise, or fold his hand. Continuing in turn clockwise, all the players around the table either call, raise or fold. When the Holdem poker betting procedure rules betting gets back around to the small blind, he or she can fold and lose only the half minimum bet of $1 placed earlier, call the amount necessary to get up to the betting level or raise $2 if there is a raise left. The big blind is then the last to act before any cards are turned up in the middle. The blinds are played in the first round only.

( 2.) The dealer turns three cards up in the center of the table. This is the "Flop". As always, the player at the left of the button is first to act. There are no more forced bets and the players can all check around if they want to. Bets right after the flop are at the $2 minimum bet level.

(3.) Now comes the "Turn" card with more betting that now goes to the $4 level

(4.) Finally the last, or "River" card is turned up. The last $4 betting round takes place. The players still in the contest reveal their hole cards and the highest hand wins the pot.