How to Play Texas Holdem Game - Part 1

So you're new to Texas Hold'Em poker? Not a problem. Texas Hold 'Em poker is by far the best game for a beginner to learn. Instead of other poker games like Omaha High or 7 card stud which entail a great many more possibilities for calculating odds and perhaps even trying to count cards, Hold'Em can be learned in a few minutes by anyone, and you can be playing fairly well with a few hours practice. In order to learn the game, however, you must play and you must play fairly often.

One poker room, PacificPoker, offers a wide variety of play money tables for beginners to practice their skills until they're ready to move up to the fun at real money tables. We recommend this card room to new players, as this site is one of the fastest growing new cardrooms (and full of other new players!)

A Texas Hold em poker game goes as follows:

• The betting structure can vary. Sometimes antes are used, but most games start with two players to the left of the dealer placing out a predetermined amount of money so there is an initial amount to get things started. This is called posting the blinds. Check out our page on blinds and antes.
• The dealer shuffles up a standard deck of 52 playing cards.
  
• Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are called your hole or pocket cards.
  
• Then there is a round of betting starting with the guy to the left of the two who posted the blinds. This round is usually referred to by the term pre-flop.
  
• The amount a player can bet depends on what kind of game it is. (Check out our page on betting structures)
  
• Much like most games of poker, players can call, raise, or fold.
  
• After the betting round ends, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called a burn card. This is done to prevent cheating.
  

Source: Texas Holdem Poker