A Basic Overview of Texas Hold'Em

Texas Hold'Em is a competitive poker game played in several rounds where players bet to advance from one stage to the next. It is a game of skill, strategy and, like all card games, luck. The objective of Texas Hold'Em is very clear: have the best five-card poker hand at the end of the game. Meeting the objective, however, is extremely challenging.

In Texas Hold'Em, each player is dealt two private cards, and all players share five community cards. Community cards are the X factor in Texas Hold'Em. They are revealed slowly through three rounds of play called the Flop, the Turn and the River. The challenge of Texas Hold'Em is for the player to determine which cards will appear, how to use the cards, how other players will try to use the cards, and the odds of winning with particular cards.

In Texas Hold'Em, players must take all of these factors into account when betting. During every round, players choose to forfeit (fold), or to place bets to remain in the game. Betting, however, can often be misleading. Players use bets not only when they have a good poker hand, but sometimes to deceive other players into thinking they have something that they don't.

If this all sounds complicated and exciting, you're right-it is. However, don't let that discourage you. Here at The Poker Practice, we provide you with everything you need to know about winning poker games