The french Tarot
Discover the secrets of the tarot card game : Rules and history. Perfect for beginners.
Pair of aces, all-in! Uh... let's calm down...
Poker (Texas Hold’em), how to play
Poker, a card game where strategy and psychology are key to standing out from the others. If you just want to play simply to be with others, that’s no problem either. It’s really easy to bring together players of all skill levels in this game, all in good spirits 😊.
- 2 - 10 players
- Every man for himself
- Housewarming party, Holiday eve celebration, Evening with friends
- Indoor
- From 18 years old
Game description
Texas Hold’em Poker is one of the most popular poker variants in the world. Here is a summary of the basic rules for playing this version of poker.
The objective of this widely played poker variant is to form the best five-card poker hand using any combination of the two cards dealt to you (known as “hole cards” or simply your hand) and the five community cards placed in the middle of the table.
Basic Rules
Blinds
The game begins with two players placing forced bets, known as the "small blind" and the "big blind". The blinds ensure there is always money to win in each hand. The player directly to the left of the dealer posts the small blind, and the player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind.
Dealing the Cards
Each player receives two face-down cards. These are the hole cards and are unique to each player.
Betting Rounds
- First Round (Pre-flop): Begins with the player to the left of the big blind and continues around the table. Players can call, raise, or fold.
- Second Round (Flop): Three community cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. A new betting round begins, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
- Third Round (Turn): A fourth community card is added face-up. This is followed by another betting round.
- Fourth Round (River): A fifth and final community card is placed on the table. This leads to the final betting round.
Showdown
- After the final betting round, if more than one player remains in the game, there is a showdown. Players reveal their hole cards, and the player who can form the best five-card combination using the community cards wins the pot.
- The card combinations, from highest to lowest, are: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.
Strategy and betting
Types of betting
- No Limit: You can bet any amount, up to all your chips.
- Pot Limit: You can bet any amount, up to the size of the pot.
- Limit: Bets and raises are predetermined and structured.
The most common game format is No Limit Texas Hold’em.
Position
Position is critical in Texas Hold’em because it affects the types of cards you can play and how you can play them. For example, being in a late position (one of the last to act) gives you more information about the actions of other players, which can help you make more informed decisions.
The Texas Hold’em Poker is a game of skill, luck, and strategy, and it can take some time to master all the nuances of the game. However, understanding the basic rules is a good starting point to become a competent player.
Hand strength
Preamble: When we say that cards are of the same suit, we’re not talking about red or black color. We’re talking about whether they’re all diamonds, clubs, spades, or hearts.
Here are the hands in order of their strength (from strongest to weakest):
- Royal Flush: This is the ultimate hand in poker. It’s a sequence of cards of the same suit from 10 to Ace (10, J, Q, K, A). In English, this hand is called the Royal Flush.
- Straight Flush: A straight flush is a sequence of consecutive cards of the same suit (8, 9, 10, J, Q). In English, this hand is called the Straight Flush.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank along with any fifth card (A, A, A, A, 3). In English, this hand is called Four of a Kind.
- Full House: A combination of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank (3, 3, 3, D, D). In English, this hand is called a Full House.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit. In English, this hand is called a Flush.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits. In English, this hand is called a Straight.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank (8, 8, 8, V, R). In English, this hand is called Three of a Kind.
- Two Pair: Two sets of pairs of the same rank (5, 5, 9, 9, D). In English, this hand is called Two Pair.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same rank among your five cards (2, D, 5, 5, A). In English, this hand is called One Pair.
- High Card: The highest single card in your hand (e.g., Ace high with D, 4, 7, 2, A). In English, this hand is called High Card.
Points to consider
Psychology of the Game: Poker is a game of bluff and psychology. Knowing when to bluff and when to read the bluffs of other players can be as important as knowing the rules.
Chip Management: Knowing how to manage your stack of chips is crucial for long-term success in poker. Taking calculated risks and knowing when to play cautiously are key skills.
Accepting not to participate in order to last: Don’t be mistaken—when watching poker videos, you’ll see players defending hands that are what they are and winning big pots. It can quickly seem like the player is playing almost every hand. This is a false impression. A good player in a tournament will play 15 to 25% of their hands. Accepting to fold in order to go far is important. Some players may have a more aggressive style, but that’s not always the case.
Discover the game with this PokerStars' video
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Click here to view the French version of this game.
