Texas Hold ‘em Poker

By Author: Jamie Hanson
Total Articles: 3534
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Texas hold ‘em poker is a variant of the poker game and is very popular in North America and Europe. Hold'em poker surged past the popularity of other poker variants, such as the stud and draw. It has spread its roots like a fire in the jungle in the US and European casinos. As per popular belief, the game originated in Texas and dates back to the early 20th century. The Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas was the only casino to run the game for many years after it was introduced there by a group of Texan gamblers in 1967. Texan hold ‘em poker shot to widespread fame in the 21st century. Primary reasons cited were - the introduction of online poker and it's appearance in film and television. But, the nailing point was the widely televised championship - 2003 World Series of Poker.

Texas hold ‘em poker is a very strategic game unlike other variants of poker. The players' main aim is not to win individual hands but to maximize their long-term gains. However, the main objective of the game remains the same - all players compete for the pot, i.e. the money contributed by them. The game is divided into deals ...
... and it ends at showdown. A showdown occurs when more than one player occupies the table after others have folded. Two hole cards and five community cards comprise a player's seven cards off which he has to play the best five-card poker hand. He may or may not use his own two hole cards to form the five-card combination. But, if a player uses only the community cards he is said to be playing the board. In this case, he has to share the pot since the other player can also opt for the same technique. However, a showdown is not the only way to ascertain the result. In case all players, except one, have folded, the remaining player is awarded the pot.

Limit hold 'em, no-limit hold 'em and pot-limit hold 'em are The three most common variations of hold 'em. Small and big blind bets, i.e. forced best by two players, are used in hold'em poker. Forced bets by all the players can be brought into play in the later stages, particularly tournament play. A dealer button is used to identify the dealer. A small blind is played by the player on the left of the dealer while a big blind is played by the player on the left of the one playing the small blind. When only two players are left, the player with the dealer button posts the small blind while his opponent the big.

Many books have been published about the strategies of hold'em poker. Texas hold ‘em poker's complexity is what attracted academicians towards the game and to author books on the same. It requires mathematical aptitude to ascertain when and how much to bet and has thus become the apple of the learned conoisseur's eyes. Most of them suggest a tight-aggressive approach, i.e. playing few hands but betting often with the hands played.

So if you want to enjoy a game of Texas hold ‘em poker, go online. Who knows, you might just win the next season of World Series of Poker.

Find out more about Texas holdem regeln and Poker spielen at depokern.com.