How to Play Online Texas Hold’em
For those of you that come from a background of online gambling, Texas Hold'em isn't a table game in the same guise as casino poker. Instead of playing against the house, this game pits you against a series of players.
Texas Hold'em is a game played between willing participants. The game is EV neutral which means that no one at the table has an inherent edge and this is one of the reasons why Texas Hold'em betting is popular among gambling aficionados.
To give you a better insight into why, compared to other activities involving online gambling, Texas Hold'em is the "thinking man's game", it's important to run through the game's basic mechanics.
In essence, the aim of the game is simple: win the pot by any means possible. In practical terms, there are two main ways you can win the pot:
- Having the best hand - Having the superior hand means that your cards are better than your opponent's at a showdown.
- By bluffing - You force your opponent to fold before a showdown.
To make sure you don't confuse Texas Hold'em with other forms of poker, here's a quick rundown of some of the variants:
Casino Hold'em: Beat the dealer and get paid when you have a ranked hand.
Ten High Hold'em: Like Casino Hold'em, except players earn big bonuses for hands that include a ten.
Mulligan Poker: In Mulligan Poker, you are dealt five cards. Players have the option of keeping their hand or calling Mulligan and getting five new cards. The dealer will also be able to take a mulligan if they have king high or lower. Beat the dealer and win.
Pai Gow Poker: In Pai Gow you are dealt seven cards. Players then make two hands: a two card hand and a five card hand. Both these hands go heads up against the dealer with the player able to win both, tie and lose both.
Caribbean Stud Poker (Progressive): Player is dealt five cards. Different hands have a different pay rate but if you can get a royal flush you will pocket the progressive jackpot.
Rules of the Game
A hand of Texas Hold'em uses five cards which can be any combination of a player's two hole cards (the cards they are dealt) and the five community cards. This means that a player can use one, two or none of their cards in conjunction with the five cards in the middle to make a hand ranging from a pair up to a Royal Flush.
A quick rundown:
- Every player is dealt two cards face down, known as hole cards.
- You can either check, bet or fold in the pre-flop section of the game.
- The flop is when three shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table.
- The turn is when the fourth card is dealt.
- The river concludes the final round of betting.
- You have to create the best possible five card poker hand.
- The game ends with a showdown in which players turn over their cards and the best hand wins.
- The game can also end if a player bets enough that everyone else folds.
With this in mind, a player must measure the value of their two starting cards before any of the community cards are revealed and decide whether or not the hand is worth playing. If they feel the cards are too weak then they can simply fold. However, if they like their hand, then they must either call or raise (the size of each will be determined by the table stakes and the previous action).
This process is repeated by each player at the table until everyone has either folded or met the minimum bet. A point to note here is that each new hand starts with a player in the small blind and one in the big blind. These forced bets kick off the action and it's the player to the left of the big blind who starts the action.
After all the pre-flop action has been completed the first three community cards (the flop) are revealed. At this point another round of betting ensues with players having the option to check (take a free card if no previous betting has occurred), bet or fold based on the current strength of their hand. This process is repeated on the turn (the fourth card) and then again on the river (the fifth and final card).
If at least two players are still in the hand by the river then a showdown takes place and the best five-card hand wins. However, if at any point during the hand only one player remains then they are declared the winner by default and thus scoop the pot.
Poker Hand Guide
To be able to win some real money gambling at Texas Hold’em, there are a variety of hands that you want to beat. It’s important to be aware of all the possible hands.
| Types of Poker Hand | Description |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | This hand consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit. |
| Four of a Kind | This includes four cards of the same rank and an additional fifth card (the kicker). |
| Full House | Three cards that are of the same rank and two cards of another rank. |
| Flush | This hand involves five cards of the same suit. |
| Straight | Five cards that are of consecutive ranks and from different suits. |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards from the same rank and two cards from different ranks. |
| Two Pair | This hand holds two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, plus a kicker. |
| Pair | Two cards of one rank and three different cards from different ranks. |
| None of the Above | This is when you have a high card. This would be the top ranking card you hold. The player with the highest rank wins if everyone has a high card. |
Know Your Texas Hold’em Strategies
Unlike several games, Texas Hold’em is a game of skill more than luck. Knowing a few strategies will help you improve your game and get you in the running of winning some good real money.
- Make sure to play cards that will help you win the hand.
- Know your position. Do not raise without being able to back it up with a good hand.
- Make sure to analyze your opponents and try to avoid being analyzed yourself.
- Study yourself and what you did wrong in every game so that you can always improve on your mistakes.
- We suggest that you first play free demo games to practice your skills before delving into real money games.
Top Texas Hold'em Betting Tips
Before we send you off to enjoy our best Texas Hold'em sites, here are a few tips to help you improve your win rate.
Play Less: One of the biggest mistakes novice players make when it comes to online poker, Texas Hold'em in particular, is to make too many bets. Although the prospect of making a strong hand or bluffing is appealing, it can actually bebe a major drain on your cash if you get involved in too many pots.
One important fact to remember is that you will make a pair less than 2/3 of the time when you play Texas Hold'em. , and Tthis often means you'll have to fold a lot post-flop. So, if you really want to make more money at the felt, make sure you choose your hands carefully.
Play Aggressively: Coupled with a propensity to play too many hands, new players will often adopt a passive strategy when they enter a pot. When it comes to betting, Texas Hold'em is all about aggression. This means you should always be looking to raise or re-raise whenever you enter a pot. There's an old adage in poker that you should try to remember if you want to make more money: "If a hand is not worth raising, then it's not worth playing."
Play in Position: Position is king at the poker table and before you enter any pot you should consider where you are in relation to the button, the blinds and any active players. Basically, you should play more hands the closer you are to the button because you'll have the benefit of extra information. Sometimes playing out of position is unavoidable, but if you want to have the greatest advantage over your opponents, then you should always play in position.
Tournaments 101
Texas Hold’em tournaments are very popular among players, especially advanced gamblers. Tournaments can be a great way to interact with other gamblers and also win big real money prizes.
Professional tournaments
Players can choose to gamble at professional tournaments. Most online sites have the option of signing up to tournaments. This gives players the opportunity to play against each other while also be in the chance of winning real cash.
Home Games
Home games can be played from the comfort of your own home. They are normally accessed among friends to have a good time. All you will need are cards, a playing surface, chairs, poker chips, a timer and a location to play in. Let the fun begin!
Glossary
- Ante – A wager that a player can make before any of the other players.
- All in – A bet that places all the chips into the pot.
- Burn – The action to get rid of the top card from the deck.
- Call – A call that is made on other players to match the highest bet.
- Check – To pass the play to another person.
- Dealer – The player who shuffles the deck and deals the cards.
- Flop – The first three community cards, dealt face down.
- Heads Up – A pot that is contested between two players.
- Raise – To increase the amount of the bet.
- Straddle – An optional pre-deal bet.
Finding the Top Texas Hold'em Site
Hopefully by now you've got a good insight into the mechanics of Texas Hold'em and how you can maximize your profit at the felt. Armed with this knowledge, it's now time for you to venture off and start enjoying the game for yourself.
By choosing one of our recommended poker sites you can gamble online safe in the knowledge that your bankroll isn't at risk. Not only that but all of our top Texas Hold'em platforms are stocked with bonuses and VIP rewards to give your bankroll the perfect start in life.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do you play Texas Hold’em poker?
In a game of Texas Hold’em, the player has to win the pot by any means possible. You can achieve this by having the better hand or by bluffing. There are multiple varieties of this game so make sure you know which version you are playing before betting real money.
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What is No Limit Hold’em?
No Limit Hold’em is normally played in a tournament style with high token bets and multi-showdown side pots.
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How many times can you raise in a poker game?
Usually, only a bet and three or four raises are allowed on each round. However, whenever your raise, the original wager has the option to raise again.
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How do you deal a poker hand?
There are various ways on how you can deal at a Texas Hold’em game; you can deal 2 cards face down to each player, you can deal a flop or you can deal a community card. The options are endless. However, make sure that you know which version of the game you are playing at.
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Where can I play Texas Hold'em online?
The Texas hold'emHold’em poker variant is available on literally every online poker site. That's because it's easily the most popular variant of poker game in the world.
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How popular is it?
Massively. Texas Hold’em has always been a big draw for the crowds in land based poker rooms and casinos but since the boom in online poker, it's become even more popular.
The reason it's such a big hit with poker fans is that it's relatively easy to pick up the basics of the game and because it's a no limit poker game, it means that the pots on the table can grow quickly.
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Does it offer the biggest winnings?
Yes, it certainly does. All the major poker sites run regular Texas Hold’em tournaments with guaranteed prize pools each week and the prizes on offer get up to $1 million or more.
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How is it different to live play?
There are two main differences between playing a Texas Hold’em game in a land based poker room and playing online:
- 1. The action is quicker paced because players are often multi-tabling and playing at more than one table at a time so they should make quicker decisions to stay on top of all their different hands.
- 2. Your opponents in an online game will tend to be less experienced and make more mistakes than the ones who play at offline poker rooms. This makes it easier to earn money when you play.
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How many players can take part?
Thanks to the wonders of technology and the power of the Internet, thousands of players can be playing Texas Hold'em at any given time on the top poker sites.
Guaranteed tournaments are super popular with online players too, so it's not unusual to see more than 4,000 players joining in the action in one single tournament.
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How can I improve my winning chances?
The number one best way to increase the amount of cash you can win during a poker session is to play more than one hand at a time by multi-tabling.
Because you'll be playing 5 or more hands at the same time, you've got 5 or more times more winning potential. Plus, you'll have more chances of getting a great hand that you can use to crush your opponents with.
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How does it compare to other poker variations?
You can learn the basics of Texas Hold’em in a matter of minutes and there are no complicated draws or betting rounds like there are in a poker game like Omaha.
