As most people who don’t receive their mail in a cave know, Texas Hold’em is currently the most popular card game in the world. Saying this game is easy would be an understatement though. If “chutes and ladders” is your idea of a challenging game, than Texas Hold’em is not for you. The actual play of the game has a lot that is involved with it. Over time though, most of this will become second nature.

Texas Holdem poker starts with a standard 52-card deck. In most peoples home game the dealer is a job that rotates from player to player, but in casinos and card-rooms, the Dealer does not play. In games with a Dealer, a round disc called the "Dealer Button" moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The Button marks which player would be the dealer if a designated, non-playing, dealer was not part of the game.

Unlike other games, antes are not a part of Texas Hold’em. Instead, there are two forced bets called Blinds. Games begin with the two players to the left of the Dealer or Dealer Button putting a predetermined amount of money (the Blinds) into the pot before any cards are dealt. This ensures that there is some money in the pot before the deal. Why play a hand if there is nothing to play for? In tournaments the rules for the blinds are different. In the home game, or casino, the blinds are a set amount of money that will not change. In tournament play, the amount of money put into the pot by the two players left of the Dealer Button goes up as the tournament goes on. The longer the tournament goes, the more expensive the Blinds are. This is done to ensure the elimination of players.

Most often, the Small Blind (the player on the immediate left of the dealer) puts up half the minimum bet, and the player on his left (the Big Blind) puts up the full minimum bet. This is called "posting the blinds."

Each player is dealt two cards, face down (the Hole Cards). They keep their denominations a secret, usually emphasized by shielding the cards with one hand while turning a corner of them up. The Hole Cards must stay on the table but may be momentarily raised to ensure that a player has full sight of them. They must then be replaced on the table but may be consulted at any time during the hand, but only by the player to whom they were dealt.

The object of the game is to combine these two cards with the five cards which will eventually be laid out in front of the Dealer ("the Board") to make the best five card poker hand. This hand may consist of the two Hole Cards and three of the Board, one Hole Card and four of the Board or, on occasion a player can just ignore their hold cards and play with what the Board has provided. The person who wins the hand, wins all the money in the pot. The pot consists of the Big Blind bet, the Little Blind bet, and all the bets that followed.

The first round of betting happens immediately after the Deal. The first player to bet is the player to the left of the Big Blind. In non-tournament games this person may choose to become a third Blind by putting down a bet that is double that of the Big Blind, before the cards are dealt. This is known as the Straddle. The advantage of being a Straddler is the change in position. Instead of being the first person to bet, and worrying about those raising after you, you’re now the last bet, and get to strategize without fear of a raise coming behind you.

The first to bet is the person who is on the immediate left of the Big Blind or Straddler. There are three options for this person. They can Call, Raise or Fold.

To Call, the player places a bet that is equal to the Big Blind or Straddle. To Raise, the player adds an additional amount. The size of this amount varies with the type of game being played: in Limit Games, it is a fixed amount and may be Capped (limited) after a set number of rounds, normally four online; in Pot Limit games it cannot be larger than the amount currently in the Pot; in No Limit games, it may be any amount, limited only by the number of chips in front of the player.

To Fold, the player places his cards face-down in front of him and pushes them towards the middle of the table where they constitute the Muck. When any card touches the Muck it is deemed to have been folded. That player can take no further part in the hand and any bets he has made are forfeit. The players betting after, have the same three options but they may also ReRaise (or ReReRaise). A ReRaise must equal at least the size of the last Raise.

After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is called Burning, and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating. The Burnt Card is placed alongside the Flop, under the next Open Card or in the Muck.

The dealer then places the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the Flop.

The order of bettors changes a little when the second round of betting begins. This round and all subsequent betting rounds start with the first player to the dealer's left who are still in the hand. In addition to Calling, Raising or Re-Raising, players now have the option to Check - staying in the hand without betting until it is their turn to bet again.

Once a bet has been made a player may choose to Call for that amount or Raise (or ReRaise, where applicable). If they choose to do neither, the player must Fold. Thus, at the end of the round, all players will have put in an equal amount of bets except where a player doesn’t have enough chips in front of them; in that case, the player may go All-In (betting the total amount he has) and one or more Side Pots are established. This limits the amount of money that the person who is all in can win.

After the completion of the Second Betting Round, a further card is Burned.(discarded) and the next card exposed and added to the Board. This is called the Turn card.

If you are playing a Limit game, the fixed amount doubles and remains at that amount for the final round of betting.

After the completion of the Third Betting Round, a further card is Burned and the fifth and final community card is exposed and added to the Board. This is the River card.

This precedes the Show-Down, when the challenged player must reveal his cards.

If two or more players have the same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (the Kicker) is used to break the tie. If there is no kicker card (the tied players have used both Hole Cards, or have the same hand), the pot is split between them.

Players wishing to Play the Board (relying on the five exposed cards to make the best hand) must announce that this is what they are doing before throwing their cards away; otherwise they relinquish all claim to the pot.

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