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Poker RulesDo yourself and your so called "friends" a favor. Learn these rules.
Rules of Texas Hold'em Texas Hold'em is a variation of seven card stud where players share common cards called "the board." Due to the fact that the starting two card hand is comprised entirely of face-down cards, the obligation to open the betting is rotated clockwise after each hand. This is accomplished with the use of a "dealer button" and "blinds." A dealer button is a round disk with the word dealer written on it. Blinds are mandatory bets made by the first two players clockwise from the dealer button. The person to the immediate left of the dealer pays the small blind. The person immediately to the left of the small blind pays the big blind. The blinds advance in amount based upon a predetermined schedule. Blinds typically start at 5 (small) and 10(big) chips. The player with the button is dealing the hand. The first card is dealt to the player on the immediate left of the dealer button. The obligation to open the pot is rotated around the table. As the button moves, all players receive the same benefits of position. This position element, the order in which players are required to act, has a strong influence on proper play in all games where buttons are used. Obviously, the player with the privilege of betting last has a significant advantage. Each player receives two cards face-down. The player to the left of the big blind must now call the size of the big blind, raise an amount equal to the size of the bet (the big blind at this time) or fold his hand. In blind games the money posted for the blinds counts toward the player's bet, and the players posting these blinds have the option to raise even if the big blind has not been raised. An example will clarify this. The big blind, $10 in a $10-$20 limit game, is called by several players but no one raises. After the player with the button acts the small blind calls for $5 more, he already had $5 in for the small blind. The house dealer would now offer an option to the big blind who could then raise his own bet even though he had started the action and not been raised. Alternatively, the big blind can check and the hand will proceed. The next three cards are called the "flop." NOTE: The dealer should "burn" a card prior to delaing the flop. Burning a card means to place it on the muck pile. This is done in the case that a player has seen the top card and, therefore, has an unfair advantage. They are delivered all at once, face-up in the middle of the table and are used by all players. The first player to the left of the button is first to act. -This will hold true for all remaining rounds of betting. The player being first may check, bet the big blind, bet any amout in excess of the big blind or fold (foolish). Other players may check, fold, call, or raise as appropriate.- The next card is called the "turn." It is delivered face-up next to the first three in the middle of the table. With the turn the betting goes to the higher limit.--Once again a card is burnt prior to dealing the "turn" card. The final, or "river" card, also called "fifth street," is now dealt face-up (after burning one card). Together these cards make a five card board. Again, the betting is the higher limit for the game being played. Once all the betting has been completed and multiple players remain in the round, the hands are shown and the winning hand is established. In Texas Hold'em, players may use any five of the seven cards to form their best poker hand. Players may use two, one, or no cards from their hand. When using no cards from the hand produces the best ranking hand from the seven cards available, that player is said to be "playing the board."
POKER ETIQUETTE POKER RULES THE MUCK PILE MESSAGE BOARD CONTACT
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