Playing Texas Hold 'Em

[cosine]

Okay...

Can someone explain the rules for Texas Hold 'Em for me? I've found several places on the Internet that try to explain how to play, but none of them make sense. Also, while you at it, could you give me any tips, hints, or tricks to effective strategy and playing?

Thanks.

[Warren]

Umm wow.

The rules are easy, playing a winning game is much harder.

General rules here http://www.thepokerforum.com/texasholdem.htm


I suggest you go to an online poker site and sign up and play in the play money section. You will learn the mechanics of the game there. When you are ready, buy in for a small amount and play at some low-limit tables first then as you get more confident move up in limits.

Some sites have games where the blinds are 1 cent 2 cents so it is really cheap to play a lot of hands.

Also buy a few Hold 'Em books and read them at your leisure.

A few general tips to start you off:

Be aggressive, do not be what is known as a calling station. If you decide to be in a hand, raise. You will get a bunch of callers at the low limits. Unless your hand is total garbage but there are so many people in the hand ahead of you you are getting good odds to call, then you limp in and hope for a good flop. If you make a good hand on the flop then raise it up otherwise fold to a bet.

Be selective, don't just play anything and when you know you are beat, fold. Or if the opponant is weak and bluffable bluff him. Don't just call along and chase hands hoping your trash turns into gold.

Don't be afraid to lose money, play only with what you can afford to lose.

Don't slowplay big pairs, if you are playing at low limit tables you will get called if you bet your aces, kings, queens etc. don't be sneaky and try to sucker people. At low limits this does not work very well.

Pay attention, even when you are not in a hand.

Remember that it is the best 5 cards that win.

For example if there are 4 aces on the board (community cards) and you have a queen in your hand and your opponent has a king he wins as his king outranks your queen.  But if the 5th card on the board is higher than both of you and your opponent's high cards you would split the pot as the best 5 cards are on the board.

Another example  if there is a flush on the board (all five cards are hearts for example) and neither of you has a heart you split the pot as the best 5 card hand is the board.

If say you had a 2 of hearts you would still split as the best five card hand is still the board ex: a,k,10,8,7 of hearts your 2 is no good here. Though if you had the 9 of hearts you would win as you have a higher flush than your opponent. a,k,10,9,8 beats a,k,10,8,7


If you have a small pair say 6s and the board goes j,j,9,9,5 your sixes are no good. You now just have two pair Js and 9s with a six kicker and if your opponent has a card higher than a 6 he wins as he out kicks you. Though if the last card was an A you would split as long as he did not have an ace. So he could have gone in with a 2-7 (the worst starting hand possible) and beat you through the luck of the flop.


I see new players mis-read  hands all the time and I did it when I first started that is why the long-windedness on that subject.
 

There is a lot more A LOT more but to understand you have to play some hands. So go play some play money poker..get to it!

[TarpleyG]

Do not drink and try to beat your buddies at this game...you'll get your ass kicked every time.  Ask me how I know.  Me, I'm it in for the comraderie, beer, and cigars.

Greg

[K Frame]

Bet ONLY with money you can afford to lose.  TH can put a hurting on you in an amazingly short period of time.

[TarpleyG]

TH can put a hurting on you in an amazingly short period of time.

Play a little Mexican Sweat and then come back and tell me that.  MS makes TH look like Go Fish.

Greg

[crt360]

Last year I was fishing up at Lake Caddo with some good friends of mine.  We've killed plenty of time (and quite few beers) playing Texas Hold'em and Mexican Sweat.  We actually played Mexican Sweat long before any of us had ever heard of Texas Hold'em (and we are all from Texas).  TarpleyG, glad to hear someone else actually plays this.  You are correct about MS putting a hurtin' on you.  

Some of these guys are a lot more interested in the cards than I am, so between fishing and some golf, we'd head over to Shreveport and give some money to the casino people.  Two of the guys sat down at a TH table with a bunch that looked straight out of Deliverance.  I swear they could communicate just by looking at each other, too.  The games were so fast that my friends couldn't even tell when it was their turn.  One actually won a hand, but gave up after awhile because he had no idea what was going on.  The other players weren't too friendly, either.

The thing I was trying to get at here is - don't think that playing TH with friends or online will adequately prepare you to do it in a casino.  It's way faster than on TV, no one says anything unless you screw up (and you will), and no one seems to be having much fun.  The funny thing is watching the goofballs that wear the funky shades and hats, trying to look like the players on the poker shows.

[...has left the building.]

I want to learn how to be a good all-around poker player. Tips?

Read "Ken Warren Teaches Texas Hold 'Em" and "Inside the Poker Mind". One book is mostly hard statistics, the other one teaches the psych game. Play enough that you don't get excited if you have a royal flush or if you have the 10th pair of ten/two unsuited.

[Brrlgrrl]

I have found since the "gift" membership to Pogo, I have played alot more Poker.  Playing right now as a matter of fact.  At least in Pogo, it's not real money!

[Matthew Carberry]

You can't turn on the TV without seeing live hold 'em games with the hole cards revealed.  Watch and LISTEN to the hosts.  You'll see the mechanics at work and see the bet proportions and such.  They'll talk about the strategy the players are using and what the differences are.  

I especially like (of all things) Bravo's Celebrity Hold 'Em.  Not because the players are very good but because they aren't which gives host Phil Gordon (one of my fav players) lot's of opportunity to point out what they could or should have done.  Most of the playing celebs are inexperienced, just like you, and thus his advice reflects that level of play.