Getting a Hold on Texas Hold'em

Once you have learnt the basics of poker and have got to grips with the lingo, you can begin playing. It may be advisable to begin by playing with play money at first, just until you find your feet. You'll find that the majority of big name poker sites will offer you the option to do this.

As you are probably aware, there isn't just one type of poker game, there are in fact a number, all of which come under the umbrella term of poker. Some of course are easier than others to play, but as with everything a bit of practice will mean you'll be able to hold your own at a poker table in no time.

For beginners the best place to start without a doubt is with Hold'em or Texas Hold'em as it is more fully called. You've probably heard this word a lot when people talk about poker, as it is one of the most common games to play and one that most people know.

The cards are dealt

To begin with two cards are dealt face down to each of the players. The two players to the left of the dealer button will place 'blind' bets, which are bets placed before any cards are dealt.

The blinds are bet

The person directly to the left of the dealer button places the half blind, (half the amount of the full bet), and the person to their left places the big blind - the full bet.

The flop

The dealer will then place three community cards on the table, known as the 'flop' these will be face up so everyone can see.

Betting

Play goes round the table with each player having the option to check, bet, raise or fold (if you are unsure what these terms mean please refer to our poker terms page).

The turn

After each player has made a move, fourth community card known as the 'turn' is laid face up and the players are once again allowed to check, bet, raise or fold.

The river

The river or final community card is laid down for all to see and then the action goes around the table once more until a winner is revealed.

This is all relatively straight forward and let us assure you that after a few rounds you will know what you are doing. The question is though how do you make sure you are successful?

Your aim

As you know your aim is to win all the money in the pot. The money in the pot has been created by contributions from you and the others around the table. You need to control how much money everyone is putting into the pot and you do this by looking at the hand you have and judging how successful it will be against the others in the game.

To be a winning player you don't actually have to win each individual hand played. What you need, which is perhaps the hardest part of poker, is the ability to make mathematically and psychologically correct decisions when it comes to how much you should be betting, raising, calling and indeed fold. With poker you need to think about your long-term winnings, not just winning that particular hand and what that takes is patience, concentration and a really good poker face.