Texas Hold’em is a very popular online poker game. Learning poker game is easy and many professional players are making it big in the world of Poker. The simplicity of the game of Poker makes it fun to play and easy to learn. However, this simple nature of the game can be highly misleading. It is a game about hand strength, and the player with the best hand wins at the showdown.
The game begins with the dealer dealing two hole cards face down to each player, after which a round of betting starts. As the game continues, another set of five common cards are dealt face up at the center of the table. These are community cards used by the players to make a five-card poker hand. The objective of the game is to make the best five-card combination from your two hole cards and the five community cards. These five cards are dealt in three stages.
Three community cards are dealt face-up by the dealer (The Flop), and the player gets the chance to bet, raise or fold. Once this betting round is complete, the dealer deals the fourth community card (The Turn). Again, the players get the chance to bet/raise/fold/check. Then comes the third and final betting round in which the fifth card is dealt face up (The River). If more than one player is left after the last betting round, the cards are exposed, and the player with the best hand wins the game.
Let’s talk in detail how betting works in online Texas Holdem Poker.
First Betting Round: The Preflop
Before cards are dealt, the two players to the dealer’s left put in a forced bet known as Blind. The first player to the dealer’s left puts up a small blind, whereas the next player sitting left to the small blind puts up the big blind. Once the dealer deals the cards to each player, the first betting round begins. The first player to take any action is the one who is to the left of the big blind, and this position is referred to as “under the gun” because the player is the first one to act before the flop. In this the player can:
Call: A player chooses to match the current amount of bet made by the previous player
Raise: Increases the size of the existing bet, following the limit of the game
Fold: A player folds their cards if their hands are weak. The player throws their hand without paying anything.
Second Betting Round: The Flop
The second betting round makes the game even more interesting. When the pre-flop betting round ends, the dealer deals the first three community cards face-up on the board. The betting round starts involving those players who have not folded their hands. In this round, the first active player to the left of the dealer starts the action. The betting option is the same as the pre-flop, but with one exception that if nobody has placed a bet previously, the player has a choice to check. A check means to pass the action to the next player. The betting continues clockwise until the last player bets or raises.
Third Betting Round: The turn
After the betting action is over in the flop, the dealer starts the next betting round called the turn. The dealer deals the fourth community card and the fourth betting round begins, similar to the previous street of the play.
Final Betting Round: The River
The final betting round is known as the River. The dealer deals the last card face-up, called the “river card” or “Fifth Street.” This is the final betting round, and the players can use any of the five community cards and the two hole cards to form a five-card Poker hand. Betting is the same as in the flop and the turn.
Showdown:
Once the river round ends and two or more players remain after the final betting, a showdown occurs. The player with the combinations of the best five-card hand wins the pot.
If you are a newbie and want to try your hand at online Poker, Texas Hold’em is a great game to start with. If you want to learn poker online, download the free Gamentio app. You can practice poker tutorial online from the tutorial section to get familiar with the mechanics of the game. Although it is an easy game to learn, it is essential to practice in order to improve poker skills that increase your winning chances. So, what are you waiting for? Get the app and give your skills an extra boost.