Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker. It is played as the main event of most big poker tournaments including the WSOP (World Series of Poker).

Texas Hold'em is a community card game. It is usually played between 2 to 10 players (seating 11 players at a table happens although very rarely and not in major casinos or events).

Each player gets two cards face down - these are their hole cards which the other players can't see. Then there are five cards dealt on the table. These five cards can be used by all the players to form their poker hands. A poker hand always consists of five cards. You have seven cards at your disposal to form your best poker hand - ie. choose the best five cards. You can use one, both or none of your hole cards. Let's see how the game is played and how the betting goes.

I. Dealing

The dealer position is decided (either by dealing the highest card out or the button moves to the left of the dealer of the previous hand). In the casinos a professional dealer deals the cards but the player in the dealer position has a "dealer button" to show he acts as the dealer in this round. The player left of the dealer posts the small blind. The player left of the small blind posts the big blind. The small and the big blind is standard for the game. When you choose to sit down at a cash game table you know the amounts of the small and big blind (eg. $1 and $2). The big blind is usually double the small blind. The blinds are posted before the cards are dealt.

Now the dealer deals 2 cards to each player face down.

II. Pre-flop action

After the two hole cards are dealt the player on the left of the big blind has to act first. He can do one of three things:

• Call - pay the big blind.
• Raise - put more money in the pot than the big blind.
• Fold - not pay anything and wait for a better hand.

The next player has the same options until we get to the blinds. The small blind can still fold, call by paying the other half of the blind or raise. Then it is the big blind's turn. He also has the option to raise.

If there is a raise then the action goes round until every player equalled the biggest bet or folded.

There are three types of limits: fix limit, no-limit and pot-limit. In fix limit there is usually a cap of four raises. In no-limit and pot-limit there is usually no cap so there are as many raises allowed as you wish.

III. Flop

Then three community cards are dealt in the middle of the table face up. A betting round follows. The betting is very similar to pre-flop betting with minor differences. Later betting rounds are exactly the same as on the flop.

The small blind starts the post-flop betting if he is still in the hand. He has three options:

• Check - not put any money in the pot.
• Bet - put money in the pot, the amount depending on the limits.
• Fold - this only makes sense if there was a bet in front of him.

If the small blind checks the next player can choose from the same options. If there is a bet, then the options change to:

• Call
• Raise
• Fold

The round is finished only when each player either matched the highest bet or folded.

IV. Turn

The fourth community card is dealt face up on the table. The next betting round follows. The betting is exactly the same as on the flop. In fix limit games the size of the bet doubles at this point and becomes double the size of the big blind.

V. River

The fifth community card is dealt face up on the table. The next betting round follows. The betting is exactly the same as on the flop.

VI. Showdown

If there are more than one players in the hand after the last betting round the players have to show their cards. The one with the best five-card combination is the winner. Players can use the five community cards and the two hole cards to choose the best five cards. If there is a tie the pot is split between the winners.

The player who made the last bet in the last betting round has to show his hand first. If there was no betting after the river then usually the player closest to the left of the dealer has to show his hand first. (Depending on house rules it is possible that the player who made the last bet in a previous round has to show first.) If someone has already showed a better hand you can muck your hand and not show it.

If at any point during a hand there is just one player left and everybody else folded then the player wins the pot without a showdown.

After the hand the dealer button moves one to the left and the next hand starts.