Texas Hold’em poker is the most popular format of the game. It is easy to learn, progress is streamlined, and the pace can be quick. Its design made it appealing for a competitive scene such as the World Series Poker or any high-roller table at hotels.
The simplicity of Texas Hold’em poker made it one of the easiest social games to master. It is also offered in almost every land-based casino and gambling house so it is also the most practised. Its accessibility in both difficulty and availability, however, turned it into a skill-based game. It’s a problem because it is difficult to divide competitive players from casual gamblers.
Fortunately, online casinos offer a completely different environment from land-based table games. It is difficult for professional players to translate their skills into websites like bitcasinoio because they can’t read body language nor expressions. Only the game’s mechanics are important in online live dealer games so here is everything you need to know to start playing Texas Hold’em:
Basics
The rules of the game are simple. Each player starts the game with two cards that are called ‘cards in the hole’. This means that only they know what the cards are and they are the only ones who may use them during the showdown.
Next, there will be cards laid in the middle of the table. It is called the community board. The winner during the showdown is determined by each player’s hand. A hand is the strongest five-card combination that each player can make using their cards in the hole and the community board.
How the Game Progresses
There are four stages in Texas Hold’em. The beginning is called the pre-flop which starts right after the small and big blinds are paid. Blinds are the mandatory ante placed into the pot. The small blind goes first and it is equal to the lowest stake agreed between players.
The big blind follows by paying equal to twice the amount of the small blind. The big blind determines the stakes during the pre-flop but the next stages don’t have to start with an ante. Every round only ends once every player has made an equal bet.
The second stage of the game is called the flop and this is when the community board is filled with five cards. Three of those are revealed while the other two are hidden. The fourth card is revealed on the next stage called the turn. The fifth card is revealed on the final stage called the river.
The game may end prematurely at any stage if all but one has folded. If the game proceeds beyond the river, then all players must reveal their holes to compare hands. The player with the highest-valued hand wins the game. A draw results in splitting the reward.
The Hand Combinations Arranged by Value
Hand combinations consist of five cards that show a sequence, similarity between cards, or both. The possible winning combinations below are ordered from highest to lowest value:
- Royal Flush - Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 with the same suit
- Straight Flush - All five cards follow a sequence and in the same suit
- Four of a Kind - Four out of five cards have the same rank
- Full House - A combination of three of a kind and a pair
- Flush - All five cards have the same suit but not in any order
- Straight - The cards are in sequence but have different suits
- Three of a Kind - Three out of five cards have the same rank
- Two Pair - There are two pairs in the hand
- Pair - Two out of five cards with the same rank
- High Card - There is no winning combination
In case the remaining players only qualify for high cards, they have to pick one card in the hole with the highest value. The winner is determined by which player has the highest-ranked card.
The first thing people learn about playing cards is that Ace, King, Queen, and Jack are the highest-ranked cards in a deck. This results in an unhealthy obsession for some to think that they have a powerful hand if they have those cards. Holding onto those cards will not guarantee a win.
Player Actions
Players don’t usually get any initiative in gambling because they are usually designed to be completely random. However, poker is a game of decisions rather than luck. Here are the actions that players can take for every stage of Texas Hold’em:
- Check - If the game began with no ante, then there are no stakes. This passes the turn without betting.
- Call - Bet an amount equal to the last player’s wager. The stage ends when every player has made a call.
- Raise - Raising the stakes by betting an amount higher than the previous player’s wager. Placing a raise will extend the time needed to complete the stage because everybody at the table must either call starting with the one who changed the stakes.
- Fold - Surrender the cards in the hole to forfeit one’s chances of winning the pot until the game ends. This will save the player from paying the current stakes or from contributing to the pot when they know they have a bad hand. Folding does not delay the completion of the stage.
Basic Strategy
There is no such thing as a foolproof plan when playing any type of multiplayer game. The same can be said in Texas Hold’em, especially since results are determined by the luck of the draw. There is a safe way of playing which means avoiding unnecessary risks or going for the safest decisions:
Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses
First and foremost is acknowledging that poker is a game of skill, too. That means every player can control one’s chances at winning. Players may stall or hasten the game’s pacing through betting. Using free money from casino bonuses gives players the freedom to be playful with wagers.
Prepare for a Long Session in Front of the Device
One of the key traits of poker is that it always lasts for hours. Every player may just stand from the table at any moment. This is specially made easier through live dealer games which have a more relaxed rule than high-roller tables in land-based casinos. Professional poker only ends when all other players’ bankrolls are drained or removed from the table.
It may be difficult to end when every player is playing defensively. It may even be impossible to end when new players keep coming to fill the vacant seats. That’s good because more players mean more bankrolls to add to the pot. Many players are also stubborn as they refuse to leave until they reach their target amount.
Nevertheless, players have to endure hours of playing. They should have food and water ready. They should also have a power supply for the device’s batteries. It is not wise to play long sessions of online poker with a desktop because of the amount of energy it consumes. Poker is also a terrible idle game to play while at work or traveling because players need to focus.
Pay Attention to Other Players
The reason why players need to focus on the game is to sense a pattern in each players’ habits. It is easy to tell a novice from a veteran based on the way they wager. Novices tend to play defensively as they favour low bets than raises. They also don’t know when to fold so they often wait until the stakes become overwhelming. Players can threaten them by consistent raises.
Veteran players are harder to read but many of them follow a habit. Seasoned players have developed a strategy that they follow mostly to minimize risks. Unlike the novice’s defensive methods, strategies made by veterans are harder to read since they change depending on the community board.
Once you’ve noticed a veteran player’s tendencies, the next one you have to pay attention to is when they would break from it. Careful players only break their pattern mostly when they’re bluffing. If you can afford it, call their bluff to scare them. Having your own strategy will be helpful for future games. However, it is something that one should find on their own because it involves getting used to players in a specific place and understanding of statistics.
Explore Other Poker Games in Online Casinos
The online gaming industry continues to improve with new technologies and plans to reach a wider audience. Aside from Texas Hold’em, many casinos also offer other popular versions. Websites such as bitcasinoio often feature Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, and H.O.R.S.E.
The other versions of poker feature the same elements as Texas Hold’em including player actions and hand combinations ranking. Their unique gameplay simply offers new experiences that are more appealing to certain niches.