How to Play Texas ****

Play Texas Holdem

The most popular form of poker today is Texas ****, exemplified by tournament style play on television and in card rooms across the nation. Players make their best five-card poker hands using seven cards - two personal cards dealt to each player and five community cards available to all players. Learn how to play in this online poker tutorial.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Poker Chips
• Playing Cards
• Card Tables
• Folding Chairs

1. Collect the ante from each player.

2. 

   Begin the game by dealing two cards face down to each player.

3. Follow with a round of betting.

4. 

   "Burn" - discard unseen - the top card of the deck and place the next three cards, called the "flop," face up in the center of the table. These cards are available to all players, giving each player five cards with which to work.

5. Follow with a round of betting.

6. 

   Burn the top card and add the fourth community card.

7. Follow with a round of betting.

8. 

   Burn the top card and add the fifth and final community card.

9. Finish with a final round of betting.

10. Determine the winner.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to practice online, visit this free play site and poker tutorial.

• Considered by many to be the purest form of poker, Texas Hold 'em is played in home games, card houses, casinos and the final rounds of the World Series of Poker.

• Your position at the table could often dictate your playing style. For instance, if you're last to play, you might try to bluff and steal the pot when appropriate. If you're first to play while holding a strong hand, you might bet small and allow other players after you to drive up the stakes.

• Texas Hold 'em is not a difficult game to play by poker standards because there are few cards to track. Playing successfully is another matter - there are numerous intricacies and details to the cards themselves, all of which are complicated by betting strategies.

• Don't walk into a casino or card house expecting to win until you've practiced the game on your own and understand it thoroughly. Experienced players at these tables look forward to relieving "live fish" of their money, and you could end up learning expensive lessons. Practice playing on this poker tutorial before you face the sharks.