Pot Limit Texas Hold'em
Pot Limit Texas Hold'em Poker Game - How To Play and Rules
Pot-Limit Texas Hold'em
Texas Holdem (or simply, "Holdem") is
the most popular poker game in the casinos and poker card rooms across
North America and Europe. Driven by the popularity of big events such
as the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker, playing Texas
Hold'em has become a big enough pastime that many people have begun
playing online.
Before you begin playing Texas Holdem however, you'll want to learn
the rules first. In Texas Hold'em, each poker player is dealt two
cards (known as "hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five
community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players in the
game use these cards in conjunction with their own hole cards to make
the best possible five-card poker hand.
Minimum raise: The raise amount
must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same
round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the
second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10).
Maximum raise: The size of the poker pot, which is defined as
the total of the active pot plus all bets on the table plus the amount
the active player must first call before raising.
How to Play Texas Holdem
The Blinds
In Texas Holdem, a disc called "the button" indicates which player is
the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the
player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind",
typically half a small bet (for example, $1 in a $2/$4 game). The
player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the "big
blind", which is always a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). Now
each player receives his or her two hole cards.
Pre-Flop
After seeing his or her pocket cards, each player now has the option
to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big bet. As
mentioned before, the big bet is the size of a full small bet. Thus in
a $2/$4 Texas Hold'em game, it would cost $2 to call in this initial
round of betting (known as the "pre-flop").
In Texas Holdem the available actions are bet, call or raise. These
options are available depending on the action taken by the previous
player. Each poker player always has the option to fold. The first
player to act has the option to bet, call or raise. Subsequent players
have the option of calling or raising. To call is to bet the same
amount as the previous player has bet. To raise is to match the
previous bet and increase the bet.
Now, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop consists of
the first three community poker cards available to all active players.
Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the
button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments of $2 in a
$2/$4 game). The same rules apply from above to complete this round of
poker betting.
Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the
game. Explanations of the betting action in limit holdem, no-limit
holdem, and pot-limit holdem can be found below.
The Flop
Now three cards are dealt face-up on the board - this is known as the
flop. In Texas Hold'em, the three cards on the flop are community
cards available to all players still in the hand. Betting begins with
the active player immediately clockwise of the button. All bets and
raises occur in small bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game).
When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is
dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in a
Texas Hold'em poker game. Play begins with the active online player
immediately clockwise the button. On this round, Same rules apply as
above except that poker betting doubles from the small bet to the big
bet. In a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is done in $4 increments.
The Turn
When the betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is
dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in
Texas Hold'em. Play begins with the active player immediately
clockwise of the button. On this round, the betting doubles from the
small bet to the big bet. Thus, in a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn
is upped to $4 bets.
The River
When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is
dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community
card in a Texas Hold em game. Betting begins with the active player
immediately clockwise the button and the same poker rules apply as
they do in the fourth card explained above.
The Showdown
If there is more than one remaining poker player when the final
betting round is complete playing Texas Hold'em, the last bettor or
raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round,
the player immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards
first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the Texas Hold'em
pot. In the event of identical hands, the poker pot will be equally
divided between the players with the best hands.
At the end of the final betting round, if there is more than one
remaining poker player, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her
cards first. If there was no bet on the final round, the player
immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards first. The
player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. In the event of
identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players
with the best hands. Texas Hold'em rules state that all suits are
equal, so split pots are more common than in other variations of
poker.
After the pot is awarded, a new game of Texas Hold'em is ready to be
played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player and new
hands are dealt to each player.
Courtesy of PokerStars
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