Tuesday 9 June 2009

Guidelines to no limit texas holdem poker

Ever since Chris Moneymaker’ miraculous win in the WSOP in 2003, poker became a household name. Millions of people watching the telecast on television could not but help think of making a career playing poker. Today it is no longer a whim but an accepted form of Sport, which has made a permanent place for itself in our society. Several poker sites have shot up from everywhere, ruling almost all the Sport satellites across the world. Every day there are thousands of people joining in the poker league making it one of the most enjoyed recreation activity. Here we shall discuss the basics of No Limit Texas Holdem to help you get a better grasp of this favorite poker game and find your way to success.

Position of various Hand

The basis of poker relies on formulating the five finest hands possible, but first you must know which hands are good and can beat the others. The Royal Flush is the finest hand in holdem poker and consists of a king, a queen, an ace, a jack and a ten with all four cards being of a similar suit. In case you have hit upon a royal flush, go easy on it as you are a sure winner but try to get your opponents to put in a good amount of chips into the pot. The next good hand is the Straight Flush, which is a row of five suited cards, for example 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of clubs. This is followed by the Quads, which as its name suggests is four cards of the same kind. It is a very good hand and will always win you the pot. Following the quads is a Full House, which consists of three cards of the same kind and two cards of a similar kind. For example you have three cards of ten and two cards of four, you have a full house, so do not be afraid to play it. Next is the Flush, which has five cards of a similar suit, say five cards of diamonds. When you have a flush one thing you must keep in mind is that the greater flush will ultimately win the hand, for instance an Ace flush will defeat a King flush. If your hand consists of 5 cards in a straight row, say 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 you have a hand called the Straight. The position of Aces in a straight and can fluctuate both ways, towards the lower side as well as the high.

Another hand in Texas Holdem is three cards of the same kind, say three five’s or three six’s, however, remember that they can be beaten by a straight or a flush. Two aces or two kings make two pairs, but this is not a good hand as it can be beaten by a number of hands. Pairs of deuces and aces are the greatest pairs and can easily defeat pairs of queens and kings. It is common in holdem to find at least one pair, which can many a time help you win the pot. Also a high card can often win you the pot if none of the other players have a pair.

Let us look at the best hands once again in order of their ranking starting from the first to the last, the royal flush, straight flush, quads, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair and finally a high card.

Fundamentals of the Game

You must be aware of the fundamentals of the game while attempting Texas Holdem. The foremost thing to know is about the blinds, which is an obligatory bet made at the beginning of every hand. The player seated on the left hand side of the dealer button gets the small blind while the player positioned on the left hand side of the small blind gets the large blind. These mandatory bets ensure that a pot is available for each hand that is distributed.

Holdem itself is very easy to play. The game begins with each players being dealt out two cards facing down and once the hole cards are available, betting begins allowing you to fold or raise when calling the big blind. As soon as the players are through with the betting round, 3 community cards are placed facing up known as the flop after which a second round of bets takes place. Another card is turned facing up, known as the turn or the fourth street and again there is betting, which is then followed by a fifth card being turned face up known as the river or the fifth street and a final round of betting takes place. After the betting is through with, you can reveal the hole cards you have and decide who the winner is. You must also bear in mind that you can check, fold, raise and go all in at any of the streets if you wish to do so.

Common Technique

Although no limit hold'em poker is a game of strategy, it has some very simple rules. As you continue to play the poker you will understand its techniques much better. The best starting hands and the ones that are ideal for playing are the pocket pairs. An excellent starting hand is the pocket aces while seven and two off suit are considered the worst starting hands in poker. This is because they can in no way be conjoined by a straight and being an off suit they cannot form a reasonable flush either. The best position to have at the table is that of the dealer as he is the last one to act and has already watched the moves of his opponents. It is the most appropriate position to use a bluff and therefore easier to play even with weaker cards.

This is a basic guide to Texas Holdem and enough to give you a good start but you can excel in the game only with regular practice and playing a lot of games. This will help you learn the tactics of the game as well as give you the experience of facing your opponents at the table. You can begin by playing for either free or smaller stakes and gradually step up the ladder to success.

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