Just
getting started in poker?
We strongly recommend that if you are new to poker, start
by learning Hold’em. This is the most popular poker
game, and other forms of poker are essentially based on
the fundamentals of Hold’em.
Hold'em
Poker Game Rules
Hold'em
(also known as Hold'em) is the most popular poker game in
the world. There are three variations of Hold'em, distinguished
by their betting limits:
Hold’em:
The Rules
Hold’em uses what is called a “dealer button”
(a small disc) to indicate the theoretical dealer of each
hand. After each hand is completed, the dealer button moves
clockwise to the next active player. This player will be
considered “the dealer” for that hand. In this
way each player has equal opportunities to be in early,
middle and late position.
The
First round of Hold’em:
The two players immediately to the left of the dealer button
place blind bets to start the pot (similar
in principle to an ante). The player to the left of the
dealer button posts the “small blind”
(usually equal to half the lower stake. At PartyPoker.com
the small blind is rounded down to the nearest dollar. However,
as it is just a guideline, the amount of the small blind
could be set slightly differently).
The
player to the left of the small blind is required to post
the “big blind,” equal to the
lower stake limit. All the blinds in Hold’em poker
are considered live bets and the players who posted them
will have the option of checking, calling, raising or folding
when the betting returns to their position. Remember, the
dealer button (and therefore the small blind and the big
blind) move around the table clockwise after each hand,
so each player will post the blind bets over time.
Once
the blinds have been placed, two secret cards are dealt
to each player (“hole cards”), after which the
first betting round starts. The player to the left of the
player who placed the big blind starts the betting for this
round.
Each
player now has the option to place his bets in the first
round, which is set at the lower limit of the stakes structure.
(For example in a $10/$20 Hold’em game, the value
of each bet is $10 for the first round. Therefore, when
a user makes the move “bet,” this is equal $10,
and “raise” is $20…a raise includes a
call on the previous bet placed and one additional bet.)
Bets
can be placed by playing Bet, Call
or Raise. These options are available depending
on the action taken by the previous player. Each player
always has the option to fold. The first player to act has
the option to bet, call or raise. Subsequent players have
the option of calling or raising. To call is to bet the
same amount as the previous player has bet. To raise is
to match the previous bet and increase the bet.
Every
player participating in the hand should have equal amounts
of money bet as the previous players (includes bets, calls
and raises). Until the time all the players have placed
equal amounts in the pot, the betting will continue. There
is a limit on the amount and the number of bets a player
can place during a betting round (four bets for limit games).
After
the first round of betting is over, the Flop
(the first three community cards) is dealt. The community
cards are common to all the players participating in the
hand.
The
Second Round of Hold’em:
After the Flop (and in each subsequent betting round), the
first active player left of the dealer button is first to
act. The second betting round also limits the value of bets
and raises to the lower limit of the stake structure. So
in a $10/$20 game, the value of each bet is $10 for the
second round.
Bets
can be placed by playing Bet, Call and Raise. These options
are available to each player depending on the action taken
by the previous player. The first player to act in this
round (the player left to the button) gets the option to
bet or to check (to refrain from betting…this is only
available if no bet has yet been made in the betting round).
Once a player has bet, subsequent players will get the Call
and Raise options only.
After
this the fourth community card is dealt; this is known as
the Turn.
The
Third Round of Hold’em:
The third betting round starts again with the player left
to the button, bets and raises are limited to the upper
limit of the stake structure (in a $10/$20 game, $20 is
the upper stake…therefore, a single bet in this instance
is $20, and a raise is $40 – includes a call on the
previous bet and one additional bet). Bets can be placed
by playing any of the following options – Bet, Call
and Raise. Combinations of these options are available to
the player depending on the action taken by the previous
player.
After
this the fifth and final community card is dealt; this is
known as the River.
The
Fourth Round of Hold’em:
The fourth (and final) betting round starts again with the
player left to the button, bets and raises are limited to
the upper limit of the stake structure (in a $10/$20 game,
$20 is the upper stake). Bets can be placed by playing any
of the following options – Bet, Call and Raise. Combinations
of these options are available to the player depending on
the action taken by the previous player.
Once
all the bets have been made, there are two possible outcomes:
either all the players but one have folded (and hence that
person wins the pot), or the remaining players reveal their
hands and the best hand wins the pot.
The
game play remains same for both No-Limit and Pot-Limit Hold’em
game with a few exceptions to the rules mentioned above:
In limit
Hold’em a maximum of four bets is allowed per player
during any betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise,
(3) re-raise, and (4) cap, but in No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit
Hold'em there is no limit to the number of raises that a
player can make. The only limit is that you cannot raise
yourself. If all the other players in the hand only call
or fold, the player would not get an option to raise, because
the last raise was done by him.
Betting
Structure for No-Limit Hold’em Poker
Minimum raise: The raise amount must be
at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same
round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $100
then the second player must raise a minimum of $100 (total
bet of $200).
Maximum eligible raise: The size of your
stack (your chips on the table)
The
Betting Rules for Pot-Limit Hold’em Poker
Minimum eligible raise: The raise amount
must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in
the same round. As an example, if the first player to act
bets $100 then the second player must raise a minimum of
$100 (total bet of $200).
Maximum eligible raise: The size of the
pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot (which
can be either the main pot or the side pot depending on
whether anyone has gone “all-in”) plus all bets
on the table plus the amount the active player must first
call before raising.
As an
example, if the active pot is $200 and the first player
to act in the round bets $150 and the next player calls
$150, the third player has a maximum eligible total bet
of $800. The $800 total is made up of the $150 call and
$650 raise.
The $650 max raise portion is equal to the pot of $200 +
first player's $150 + second player's $150 + his own call
of $150.
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