Texa Holden
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Oct 02, 2013 One of the most important aspects of Texas Hold'em is the value of each two-card hand before the flop. The decision of how to play your first two cards is something you face every hand, and the value of your first two cards is highly correlated to your probability of winning. Texas Hold'Em is a competitive poker game played in several rounds where players bet to advance from one stage to the next. It is a game of skill, strategy and, like all card games, luck. The objective of Texas Hold'Em is very clear: have the best five-card poker hand at the end of the game. The games are intended for an adult audience. The games do not offer 'real money gambling' or an opportunity to win real money or prizes. Practice or success at social casino gaming does not imply future success at 'real money gambling.' Texas Holdem Radio is your number 1 stop for poker entertainment. Live Broadcasts and Tournaments. Texas HoldEm Poker 1 hr An all-new partnership is coming to Zynga Poker that will give YOU the chance to WIN BIG! Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out how YOU can SCORE!
Welcome to The Poker Practice
Welcome to The Poker Practice, where you can play free, unlimited TexasHold'Em poker games with no downloads. Whether you're a Texas Hold'Em rookie,or you're a frequent player looking for a great poker game, you've come to theright place. The Poker Practice is one of the most user-friendly, entertainingTexas Hold'Em sites on the web, offering all players an action-packed poker gamewith a starting allowance of $50, 000 and the chance to win a pot of up to $250,000. Since the money is completely fictional, feel free to be as daring as youdesire. Play bold moves, make audacious bluffs, and see if you can become theultimate Texas Hold'Em champion.
A Basic Overviewof Texas Hold'Em
Texas Hold'Em is a competitive poker game played in severalrounds where players bet to advance from one stage to the next. It is a game ofskill, strategy and, like all card games,luck. The objective of Texas Hold'Em is very clear: have the best five-card pokerhand at the end of the game. Meeting the objective, however, is extremely challenging.
In Texas Hold'Em, each player is dealt two private cards, and all playersshare five community cards. Community cards are the X factor in Texas Hold'Em.They are revealed slowly through three rounds of play called the Flop, the Turnand the River. The challenge of Texas Hold'Em is for the player to determine whichcards will appear, how to use the cards, how other players will try to use thecards, and the odds of winning with particular cards.
InTexas Hold'Em, players must take all of these factors into account when betting.During every round, players choose to forfeit (fold), or to place bets to remainin the game. Betting, however, can often be misleading. Players use bets not onlywhen they have a good poker hand, but sometimes to deceiveother players into thinking they have something that they don't.
If thisall sounds complicated and exciting, you're right-it is. However, don't let thatdiscourage you. Here at The Poker Practice, we provide you with everything youneed to know about winning poker games.
PlayingTexas Hold'Em at The Poker Practice
At the Poker Practice, you'll discovera fun, fast-paced free poker game suitable for players of all levels. Enjoy playingunlimited Texas Hold'Em on our state-of-the-art software where you can enjoy amultitude of exciting player options. Choose to play at an Easy or Hard level,the number of competitors from 2 to 5, and, for those who enjoy playing in a realisticcasino atmosphere, try our ambient casino sounds option to hear clinking chipsand shuffling cards.Best of all, getting started at The Free Poker Practicedoesn't require any commitments from you. You don't even have to register tothe site, let alone pay membership fees, download and install software, or receiveannoying promotional e-mails. The Poker Practice offers you a fun, high stakespoker game with absolutely no strings attached. Simply open the website fromyour browser to enjoy no-hassle no download poker games with realisticcasino sounds and exciting graphics, the game and its poker oddshas no difference than playing Texas holdem in a real casino or the poker roomsonline.
Additional Features
Here at The Poker Practice, we notonly offer you great online poker games, but also the chance to improve your poker skillsby improving your knowledge of the game. We realize that knowing the ins and outsof Texas Hold'Em is essential to becoming a skilled player. Without a solid basis,it's difficult to play confidently and successfully, let alone to develop advancedpoker playing skills.
If you're interested in becoming a serious, viableTexas Hold'Em competitor, start by using the guides we offer. Feel free to studyour How To Play Texas Hold'Em section to build a solidfoundation of the game. Earn a card shark reputation when you discover our expertpoker tips and use them to enhance your poker style. Developyour own unique Internet poker strategy byplaying off of the odds you'll find listed on our Poker Oddsand Probabilities page. Once you've thoroughly studied the game, take advantageof the free poker games at The Poker Practice to sharpen your poker skills.
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On This Page
Introduction
Zynga Texas Holdem Poker
Rules
- A single 52-card deck is used. All cards count as its poker value. Aces may be high or low.
- One player is designated as the dealer, usually with a laminated marker. This person does not have to physically deal the game. However it is important that a symbolic dealer position rotate around the table.
- The player to the dealer's left must make a 'small blind' bet. The player to the left of the small blind must make a 'big blind' bet. The amounts of both blinds should be specified in advance. The purpose of the blinds is to get the ball rolling with some money in the pot.
- Two cards shall be dealt down to each player, starting with the person to the dealer's left.
- The player to the left of the big blind must either call or raise the big blind bet. The play in turn will go around the table according to normal poker rules, which I assume the reader already knows. Table rules will specify any limits on the size or number of allowed raises.
- The small blind may also raise the big blind. If nobody raises the big blind the player making the big blind has the option to raise his own bet. The term for this is the 'big blind option.'
- Three community cards will be dealt face up in the center of the table. This is called the 'flop.'
- Another round of betting will ensue, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
- A fourth community card will be dealt face up in the center of the table. This card is called the 'turn.'
- Another round of betting will ensue, starting with the player to the dealer's left. Generally the minimum bet is double the first two rounds of betting.
- A fifth and final community card will be dealt face up in the center of the table. This card is called the 'river.'
- Another round of betting will ensue, starting with the player to the dealer's left. The minimum bet is generally the same as the previous round.
Each player still in the game at the end will determine the highest poker value among his own two cards and the five community cards. It is NOT a requirement that the player use both of his own cards. The player with the hand of highest poker value shall win. Following are the hand rankings.
- Straight flush: Five consecutive and suited cards. For example 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank, plus any fifth card. For example Q, Q, Q, Q ,4.
- Full house: Three of a kind and a pair. For example 6, 6, 6, J , J.
- Flush: Any five cards of the same suit, except for a higher ranking straight flush. For example A, Q, 8, 4 , 3.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards, except for a higher ranking straight flush. For example 8, 9, 10, J, Q.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank, plus any other two cards. For example 5, 5, 5, Q ,2 .
- Two pair: Two pairs, plus any fifth card. For example 8, 8, 2, 2 ,Q .
- Pair: A pair and any other three cards. For example 7, 7, 2, 5 ,A .
- ? High: Any five cards that do not form any higher poker hand. A king high hand for example might be K, Q, 7, 5 ,4 .
- If two or more players have poker values of the same rank then the individual cards will be used to break the tie. If necessary all five cards will be considered.
- I get asked a lot whether the two unused cards in a player's hand are used to break a tie. The answer is a firm NO. The two unused cards do not matter.
- If a new player arrives at the table he should either wait for the big blind position or put up an amount equal to the big blind, amounting to a call of the big blind.
- If a bet is made after another player runs out of money, then a separate pot is created. The player that ran out of money is not eligible to win the second pot. If more than one player runs out of money then multiple separate pots can be created.
- In formal games players may not bet with cash or buy chips with cash in the middle of a hand.
- There are numerous rules of etiquette, which I won't get into.
- There house may set the betting rules. There are three main types. A 'structured' game features raises of specified amounts. For example a '3/6 game' would mean that raises after the deal and flop are $3, and after the turn and river are $6. There is usually a limit to the number of raises a player may make, typically three. A 'pot limit' game has structured minimum raises but the maximum raise may be anything up to the amount in the pot at the time the raise is made. A 'no limit' game also has structured minimum raises but there is no maximum raise.
Examples
Example 1
Board: A, 2, 4, 5, 6
Player 1: J, 6
Player 2: 7, Q
Player 1 wins. Both have an ace high flush, so the second highest card is considered. Player 1's jack beats player 2's 7. The only way to have a flush tie is if the flush is entirely on the board and no hole cards are higher than the lowest card on the board in the same suit.
Example 2
Board: J, A, 7, 5, 6
Player 1: 2, J
Player 2: 10, J
Player 2 wins. Both have a pair of jacks so the singletons are considered. High highet singleton in both hands is an ace so the second highest singleton is considered. Player 1's second highest singleton is a 7, compared to player 2's 10. A 10 beats a 7 so player 2 wins.
Example 3
Texas Holdem Online
Board: A, A, K, Q, J
Player 1: Q, J
Player 2: Q, 2
Tie. Both have a two pair of aces and queens, with a king singleton. Some people incorrectly believe that in such cases the unused cards are considered, in this case player 1's pair of jacks beating player 2's jack/2. Only the top five cards matter. The jacks and deuce are irrelevant.
One of the most important aspects of Texas Hold'em is the value of each two-card hand before the flop. The decision of how to play your first two cards is something you face every hand, and the value of your first two cards is highly correlated to your probability of winning.
The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 10-player game. The numbers are on a 0 to 40 scale. Basically, you should only play hands that are dark green, blue, or purple. Of course you should be more be more liberal in late position and picky in early position. If forced I would say you should need 10 points in late position and 19 points in early position to call the big blind. If your table is loose, as if often the case online, you can play a bit looser yourself.
Use the top table if you have a pair, the middle table if your cards are suited, and the bottom table if your cards are unsuited. Except for a pair,look up your high card along the left and your low card along the top.
Following are the links to my tables of the value of each intial hand according to the number of players. The 10-player section explains the methodology for creating the table table.
Pot Odds
The following table shows the probability of making various hands after the flop and the correct 'pot odds.' The pot odds are the breakeven ratio of money in the pot to the amount you have to bet for the player to be indifferent about calling, assuming the player would definitely win if he makes the hand (a big if) and there are no additional bets (another big if). This table is a good starting point the player should make mental adjustments for the probability of winning without making the hand, losing with making the hand, and expected future bets. The odds of a two pair improving to a full house are the same as those for four to an inside straight.
Pot Odds — After Flop
| Hand | Probability of Making Hand | Pot Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Four to a flush | 34.97% | 1.86 |
| Four to an outside straight | 31.45% | 2.18 |
| Four to an inside straight | 16.47% | 5.07 |
The next table shows the pot odds after the turn.
Pot Odds — After Turn
| Hand | Probability of Making Hand | Pot Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to a flush | 19.57% | 4.11 |
| 4 to an outside straight | 17.39% | 4.75 |
| 4 to an inside straight | 8.70% | 10.50 |
Hand Strength Calculator
I'm proud to present my new and improved Poker Odds Calculator. Enter any situation in Texas Hold 'Em, and it will tell you the probability of each possible outcome.
Poker Tournament Calculator
My Poker Tournament Calculator will determine each player's probability, for up to nine players, of finishing in each place, and his expected share of any prize pool, assuming equal skill among all players. It produces the same results as what is known as the Independent Chip Model.
Internal Links
- Pinapple — Strategy and analysis of which card to discard before the flop.
- Bad Beat Jackpots: What is the Probability of Hitting one?
- Texas Hold 'Em Dominated Hand Probabilities: What is the probability one of your opponents has similar, and better, hole cards than yours?
Written by:Michael Shackleford