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Texas Hold'em Poker is really Omaha in stepped-up form, a derivative of Seven Card Stud Poker, initially designed to speed up what some thought was a slow game. It has been said that this form of poker is the most technically complex, however it has very simple rules, making it one of the most popular card games played in Casinos and on the web.

Texas HOLD'EM is a poker game where each player receives two cards as his initial hand. There is a round of betting after these cards have been dealt. Three board cards are turned simultaneously (which is called "the flop") and are community cards available to all players. Another round of betting takes place. The next two board cards are turned one at a time with a round of betting after each one. After the final round of betting has been completed, a player my use any combination of five cards (one in his hand, four from the board, etc.) to determine his best hand. A player my use all of the board cards--this is termed, "playing the board".

Texas HOLD'EM uses a flat disk called a Dealer Button to indicate the player, who in theory, deals the cards for that pot. The Button (player with the Dealer Button)is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action on all betting rounds, except the first. One or more blind bets are used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before a player looks at his cards. Blinds count as part of the player's bet, unless the structure of a specific game or situation requires part or all of a particular blind to be "dead". Dead chips are not part of a player's bet and are taken into the center of the pot.

Blinds are posted by players who sit in consecutive clockwise order from the Button.

A player who has less than half a blind, but at least the smallest chip used in that limit game, may still receive a hand. In this case, the next player will take the blind. The player who is short on his blind will not be eligible for the dealer position (the Button).

Half a blind or more constitutes a full blind. However, a player must meet the total amount of the blind obligation every round.

Texas Hold Em Rules

Buy-in for all HOLD'EM games is usually 10 times the minimum bet.
Check and raise is permitted.
A bet and three raises are allowed.
There is no limit on raises with only two players having bet during a betting round.

String bets or raises are not allowed. A player must put in the full amount of the bet at one time or announce his intention to raise.

A player who puts a single chip into the pot that is larger than the bet to him is assumed to have called the bet, unless he announces "raise".

No pot may be awarded until all losing hands have been killed.The winning hand should remain face up until the pot is awarded.

A card placed face up in the deck (boxed card) shall be treated as a "scrap of paper". A Joker that appears in a game that does not use a Joker, is also a "scrap of paper". A card being treated as a scrap of paper is replaced by the next card below it in the deck. If a player is dealt the Joker facedown, it is replaced by the top card of the deck after completion of the round. If a player does not call attention to the joker among his down cards before action on his hand, then he has a fouled hand and forfeits all rights to the pot and all monies involved.

If a player's hole card is exposed due to a dealer error, he may not keep the exposed card. After completing the deal, the dealer will exchange the exposed card with the top card on the deck andplace the exposed card face up on top of the deck. The exposed card will be used as the first burn card after all action before the flop is completed. If two or more cards are exposed on the deal, then it is a misdeal.

If a player is dealt more or less cards than the game he is playing in calls for, and it is discovered before two players act on their hands, then it is a misdeal. If it is discovered after two players have acted, then all monies, antes and blinds are forfeited by that player.

If the flop has too many cards, it will be taken back and reshuffled except the burn card will remain burned. No new burn card will be used.

If cards are flopped by the dealer before all the betting is completed, the entire flop is taken back and reshuffled. The burn card will remain and no additional burn card will be used for this flop.

If the dealer turns up the fourth card on the board before the round of betting is completed, the card is not in play. After the completion of the betting, the next card is burned and the fifth card is put in the fourth card's place. After betting is completed, the dealer will reshuffle the deck, including the card that was taken out of play but not the burn card or discards. The dealer will then, deal the fifth card.

If the fifth card is turned up before betting is complete, it shall be reshuffled in the same manner as the previous rule.

Playing the Board

A player may play the board by throwing his hand away only if: (1) the hand has been checked around or (2) there has been a bet and a call, and the best hand is on the board. A verbal declaration is not necessary.

The winning hand must show both cards face up on the table; one card up and the other face down is not a valid hand.

A new player may not sit down in the middle of the blinds. He must wait until the Button passes.

A new player entering any HOLD'EM game has several options. He may: (1) wait for his big blind, (2) wait until the Button passes and then post his big blind, or (3) post the big blindwhen he sits down. If he chooses the second or third option, the blind acts as his opening bet and he may either call by rapping the table or make the prescribed raise in turn.

If a player leaves the table for any reason and the blinds pass his position, he may resume play by posting the total amount of the blinds for the game or wait for the big blind. If he chooses to post the total amount of blinds, the small blind goes to the center of the pot while the big blind is live.

The Dealer Button always moves forward and the blinds are adjusted accordingly.

Only a full bet constitutes a bet. Anything less than a full bet is considered to be action only. Example: In a $5 and $10 game, on the last card, the first player bets $10. The next player goes all-in for $18. The next player may call the initial bet of $10 and $8 action (a total of $18) or may raise the initial bet of $10 to $20.

Pot Limit Game

In a Pot-Limit game, there are designated blinds and a designated minimum opening bet. After these bets, any player may bet or raise the amount of money in the pot. In raising the pot, a player must consider the total amount of called bets, including his own call, as part of the pot. Example: The pot has $100. Player A bets $100. Player B calls $100. Player C wishes to make the maximum raise; part of his total bet will be a $100 call. Therefore, in considering his raise, he includes the initial $1000 pot plus a $100 bet and two $100 calls. Since the total pot is now $400, he my raise $400, making the total bet to Player D $500. If the action in pot-limit is two handed, by mutual agreement, either player may bet as much as he likes. The other player has the option of calling the entire bet or merely the size of the pot

No Limit Texas Hold Em

In a No Limit game, there are designated blinds and/or antes plus a designated opening bet. Beyond this structure, any player may bet any amount of money he has on the table. In most No-Limit Poker games players may only bet or call the money they have on the table, ("table stakes"), going "all-in". No player can lose a pot because he does not have enough money to call a bet.