The Basics of No Limit Texas Hold’em By: Kevin Reid

Poker is considered one of the best games there is, but No Limit Texas Hold ‘em is often considered the Cadillac of poker games. No limit Texas Hold’em is very popular because it is relatively easy to learn, though there are very few people that can actually be said to have mastered the game. People young and old state that this is their favorite poker game, and that is because it challenges even the best poker players. Despite the challenging aspect of the game, the basics can be learned by anyone that has an interest.

The Basics No limit is usually played at a table of ten players, though there are also six player tables but originally the game was played with ten. One of the players at the table is the dealer and will generally wear the dealer button. It’s important to understand that the dealer is not actually the person that deals the cards; rather he is the last person to act on each hand. The dealer button will move around the table at the end of each hand, so all of the players at the table take a turn to be the last player to act. The button moves to the left of the player that had it during the previous round.

No limit Texas Hold’em uses the blind. A blind is essentially a forced bet that each player must place prior to the dealing of the cards. Prior to each hand played two of the players must post blinds. The player to the left of the dealer button is known as the small blind. The small blind must post half of the normal bet before the poker game starts. To the left of the small blind is the big blind. The big blind is required to post the full bet before the game starts. So, for an example of what the small and big blind must bet before the game we’ll assume that we are at a $1- $2 Texas Hold’em table. The small blind is required to post $.50 and the big blind will post $1.00 before the hand is ever dealt.

The Pre-Flop Two cards are dealt to each player after the blinds are posted. There are four rounds of betting in Texas Hold’em which are known as the pre-flop, after the flop, after the turn, and after the river. The first round begins after each of the players has received his or her two cards.

The first player to act in this first round of betting, or the pre-flop, is the player to the left of the big blind. This is often referred to as under the gun, because if the player would like to play his hand he must call or raise the big blind bet. If the player does not want to play his or her hand they can fold with no cost to him. This scenario moves around the table to the dealer and then to the small blind. The small blind can call the big blind by betting the difference. Of course, the small blind can also fold his or her hand and lose the bet, or he or she can raise the bet.

The big blind player is the last player to act in the pre-flop round. It should be known that the big blind can play for free assuming no other player raised his blind. The big blind can also choose to raise the bet, which is called an option. As the action rotates or moves around the table and back to the big blind position, the dealer will ask them if they would like the option. It is at this point that the big blind has the option to check, raise, or fold.

The Flop After the first round of betting, players should expect the flop to take place. The dealer will deal three cards from the deck onto the community board and then another round of betting will take place. Beginning with this round the action will always start with the small blind position and will end with the dealer position. The dealer will be the last player to act for the rest of the hand, which includes the next three betting rounds.

The Turn Also known as Fourth Street, the turn is the next stage of the game. After the turn another round of betting will take place. Finally the river card will be dealt and the last round of betting will begin.

The River The River is also known to poker fanatics as Fifth Street. When the river card is dealt and that final round of betting comes to an end, the winning cards are shown and the player is awarded the pot. Usually there is something called the rake associated with the winnings, which is the commission the house takes from the pot.

Final Thoughts When you read through the basics of no limit Texas Hold’em you may get the impression that the game is far too complicated for you. The fact is, the game only takes a few minutes to learn, but then you will spend the rest of your life trying to master what you have learned. No limit Texas Hold’em is a fun game, so gather up 10 of your friends and see if you can’t practice and build your skills at this poker game and perhaps even play in tournaments in the future.

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