Texas Holdem is an extremely popular poker game which has attracted an ever-increasing number of players with the advent and growth of online poker games and tournaments. In his song “The Gambler,” Kenny Rogers summarizes the best possible strategies for the complex game of Texas Holdem.

The game of Texas Holdem can involve 2 to 10 players with five unique categories of play. The first category is called the Preflop. All categories and states of play in Texas Holdem involve a 52 card deck.

In Texas Holdem the dealer changes from round to round which means that every person at the table will eventually be the dealer. There is often a trinket which stays with the dealer or a simple “d” on a card or button works.

In the preflop, every person playing is dealt two cards separately which are laid face down. Once players receive their pocket cards, betting occurs.

One of the attractions of Texas Holdem which has led to its widespread popularity is the fact that betting can be as large or as small as the players choose.

Texas Holdem is a game of strategy and prediction. The two ways you control the money in the pot are: by your own hand and what’s in it, or by predicting what your opponents have.

Another complexity of the game is the fact that strategies which win for higher betting limits often lose if used with lower betting limits.

The Flop is when the dealer turns over the three community cards in the middle of the table. Each player will attempt to create a winning hand out of their own cards and the community cards. There is another round of betting which happens here as well.

The Turn is the fourth card the dealer turns over. This card becomes the fourth community card and betting once again occurs.

The River is a fifth community card which is turned over by the designated dealer. After the River, which is sometimes also called “fifth street,” betting will occur for the last time in the hand.

At the Showdown, all the players who have not folded and remain in will show their cards in order of betting. In other words, the person who bet first shows first. Each player uses the five community cards and their two cards to create the best 5 card hand possible.

If all five of the community cards make the best hand, this is called “the board plays,” and the betting pot is split evenly. If the five are not sufficient, then players may use 3 or 4 of the community cards and 1 or 2 of their cards to create a winning hand. Players are allowed to fold at any time during the state of play of a hand.

There are limit and No Limit Holdem. Limit Holdem means that there is a maximum amount that each player can bet per round. No Limit holdem means a player can bet their entire pot at any time of any betting round from Preflop to Showdown.

The joy of Texas Holdem is how the various configurations of cards, number of players, and size of pot change the basics. There are infinite varieties of pots and levels of play from advanced on down to complete novice. The fun is in the playing.