Overall Objective:

To create the best possible five card poker hand, using any combination of hole cards and community cards, to win the pot.


Structure of a hand:

• In Hold’em, players receive two down cards known as hole cards. Each player must keep these shielded from everyone else at the table.

• There is a round of betting.

• Three community cards are dealt face up in the centre of the table, these are called the “flop”

• There is another round of betting.

• The next two community cards are dealt face up one at a time, these are called the “turn”. And then the “river” and there is a round of betting after each card.

The community cards are so named because any player may use them to make any five-card combination from these and his hole cards. A player may even use all of the community cards and no hole cards to form a hand, this is know as playing the board.
A dealer button passes clockwise around the table between hands and is used to designate the dealer and the blinds. The blinds are two forced bets that happen at the beginning of each hand. The small blind is laid by the player nearest to the left of the dealer, and the big blind by the player two seats to the left. The big blind is typically twice the amount of the small blind. The usual structure is to use two blinds, but it is possible to play the game with one blind, multiple blinds, an ante, or combination of blinds plus an ante. An ante is a forced bet for all players. The overall object of Texas Holdem is to create the best 5 card hand, using any combination of hole and community cards, to win the pot.


The Structure in Brief:

(introducing the “burn” card: one card deliberately dealt face down by the dealer, before dealing the flop, turn or river)

Dealer deals each player their own two cards face-down (hole cards)
1st betting round
Dealer burns a card then turns over three community cards face-up
(the flop)
2nd betting round
Dealer burns another card then turns over 1 more community card (the turn)
3rd betting round
Dealer burns another card then turns over 1 final community card (the river)
Last betting round
All remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner. “The Showdown”


Card Combinations:

All players must use one of the following combinations to make up their hand.
• Two pocket cards & three Community Cards
• One pocket card & four Community Cards
• No pocket cards & five Community Cards (called playing the board)


Betting:

• 1st Round - Pre flop

The first bet of a hand is offered to the person sitting immediately to the left of the big blind. They have the chance to fold, bet or raise.

Fold = Return their cards face down to the dealer and no longer take part in the hand.
Call = Match the biggest preceding bet., they must match the size of the big blind. If they Raise = Lay a bet bigger that the biggest preceding bet.

On the first hand the betting goes right round the table and back to the big blind (as his first bet was forced it is not counted as his turn) where he may either fold, call, raise or check (to decline the chance to act, whilst still remaining the hand), if there has been no increase on his blind and he wished simply to see the flop.

• 2nd and Subsequent rounds

In subsequent rounds the first bet goes to the player immediately to the left of the dealer. Each round of betting starts a fresh, so at this point the player also has the option to check as there has been no preceding bets.


Winning Combinations:

In order of strength.

• Royal Flush.
A straight run of cards from 10 through to Ace all of the same suit.

• Straight Flush
Any straight run of cards, all of the same suit. If two stright flushes occur, the one ending in he highest card is the winner.

• 4 of a Kind
Any four card equally numbered cards. i.e. 4 kings, 4 threes etc. If two 4-of-a-kinds occur, the highest set wins. i.e. 4 kings, beats 4 threes.

• Full House
3 of a kind plus a pair. In the case of two full houses, the hand with the highest three of a kind wins, if this doesn’t settle it, the highest pair settles it. If they are equal then the pot is split.

• 3 of a Kind
Any three equally numbered cards. i.e. 3 kings, 3 threes etc. If two 3-of-a-kinds occur, the highest set wins. i.e. 3 kings, beats 3 threes.

• 2 pair
Any two pairs, ie 2 threes and 2 kings. In the event that two, two pairs occur the highest pair wins.

• 1 pair
Any pair of cards, ie 2 fives. In the event that two pairs occur the highest pair wins.

• High Card
In the event that no player hits a hand as described above, the player holding the highest card wins.

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