TEXAS HOLD ‘EM ONLINE: RULES OF THE GAME

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Even though little is known about the actual invention of Texas hold ’em variant of poker, it is known that the rules of the game were introduced to Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan gamblers and card players. Today, this is one of the most popular forms of poker, being the most common card game in U. S. casinos. It is widely played online, and it’s also a widely televised main event of many worldwide poker tournaments.

General Rules

Texas hold ’em is counted among the simpler forms of poker, and the basic rules of the game reflect this. At the beginning of the game, two cards (known as the hold cards) are dealt to each player, and then five community cards are dealt face up in three stages. These stages consist of a series of three cards – the “flop”, the “turn” and the “river”. As with other forms of poker, players have the usual betting options of raising, calling, checking or folding. The first betting phase occurs before the flop is dealt, and additional betting rounds take place after each consecutive deal.

The entertaining part about these rules is that each player strives for the best five-card poker hand by combining their own cards (the hold cards) with the community cards. Players can also resort to combining poker hands using only the five community cards and none of their hold cards. This is colloquially known as “playing the board”.

This is where the true appeal of Texas hold ’em really lies: even though the rules of Texas hold ’em are easy to learn, they are quite difficult to master – so much so that the game often serves as a research model in the fields of artificial intelligence, statistics and game theory.

Online Poker

It can be said that the invention of online poker is in fact one of the factors that contributed to the popularity of Texas hold ’em in the first place. The game of poker, especially the Texas hold ’em variant, remains one of the most popular forms of today’s online gambling. In fact, some estimates even claim that one in every four dollars gambled is gambled online. Online hold ’em rules are pretty much the same as those of a Texas hold ’em game you’d play in any actual casino. However, there are still a few differences. When playing online, the players obviously don’t physically sit at the same table, removing the possibility of studying others’ body language and psychological reactions, an important element of poker. Still, it is a fairly practical concept, and many new players often start playing their first proper games via online gambling rooms and websites. This is often because the atmosphere of actual casinos can be intimidating for beginners, thus discouraging them from playing.

Tips and Strategies

No limit and fixed limit games are quite common in online poker rooms, with pot limit games being less frequently played. Players are thus often advised to play aggressively, playing few hands, but raising and betting often within the hand which is played. Still, strategies and rules for different tournaments and Texas hold ’em forms can vary greatly.

Basic Blackjack Strategies for new Texas Hold’em players

 

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While the game of blackjack does require some skill to play, once you figure out some of the basic moves and strategies, you will find it very exciting and rewarding. No strategy can offer complete success since there is always the variable of luck involved in the game. However, a couple of basic strategies will give you the best possible chance to walk away from a winner.

Probability

One of the first things to think about is the probability of drawing any particular card from the deck. With 52 cards in a deck and four suits for each number, you will have a 4 in 52 chance to pick any number, excluding face cards or 10’s. Since each face card has a value of 10, then your probability of drawing a 10 is much higher than that of any other card. With all of the face cards plus the 10’s having the same value, you will have a 16 to 52 chance to pick a card with a value of 10. Knowing this will help immensely in determining what your next move should be.

You are playing against the dealer

Another thing to keep in mind is that you are always playing against the dealer and not the other players. Each of the players will be able to make as many moves as they choose, up to the point where they either decide to stay (or stand), or they go over 21, which is called “bust.” The dealer, on the other hand, has specific guidelines which they must follow, and while there are some variations to these guidelines, most of them are universal. One such guideline is that the dealer must draw a card if their hand is less than or equal to 16. In this case, the dealer must draw a card no matter what the other players are showing. They are also forbidden to draw a card if their hand is 17 or higher (to 21).

Knowing these two strategies will help immensely when you are trying to figure out what move you should make next. For instance, if the dealer is showing a card that is a 3, 4, 5, or 6, you know that there is a high probability that the down card is going to have a value of 10. You will also know that the dealer must take another card if he has something that is 16 or less, and that there is a very high probability that the card that he draws will be higher than 5, which will put him over 21. If this plays out in this manner, you win.

If the dealer is showing a card with a value of 10, then you can be sure that there is a good chance that the down card is also a value of 10, making the probability of the dealer’s total 20. Knowing this, your best chance of winning is to draw enough cards that will total up to 20 or 21.

There are a lot of strategies to playing to a game of blackjack. Some of them, like the ones that have been mentioned, are very basic. Others are very in-depth and complicated. Just remember that they are all just that, strategies. There is no guarantee to win, just knowledge to make good decisions and give you the best possible chance to win. Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed or intimidated. Take your time, learn the basics, talk to your fellow players and the dealers, and always remember to have fun! Give yourself your practice by joining some trustworthy casinos online such as Luxury Casino before playing at actual casinos.