Texas Hold’Em

Texas Hold’em is the most popular online poker variation. Learning the basics of playing the game is simple, but don’t let this simplicity deceive you. Texas Hold’em comes with a diverse list of possible game situations at advanced levels, making mastering the game extremely challenging. This nature of the game is the inspiration of the famous Texas Hold’em quote, “It takes just a moment to learn Texas Hold’em, but a lifetime to master it.” 

The rules of playing Texas Hold’em are roughly the same, but the outcome is a bit different based on whether you are playing a Texas Hold’em Cash game or a tournament.

Texas Hold’em tournaments are like any other Hold’Em game with just a few extra rules and twists. The cash game requires you to collect as many chips as possible, a single pot at a go. You scoop a pot if you have the best hand or if the other punters fold (back down) before the showdown.

All major poker tournaments such as the World Poker Tour, the World Series of Poker, and the European Poker Tour feature the No Limit version of this game. Next, let us look at the two general categories of the game in more detail. 

Texas Hold Em

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Texas Hold’Em Cash Game Variants 

The first and the most popular Texas Hold’Em version is the cash game. It is played by two to nine people sitting around a table.

At that table, the blinds don’t increase, and punters play for the money that is in front of them. That means if you rake a €10 pot, you win €10 and your account is credited with €10.

The pace and action of this game vary wildly, and you can rise and find another table whenever you want without being penalised. Texas Hold’Em cash games are the easiest, most lucrative, and most popular variation of the game.

Note that although the cash game is usually a single variant of Texas Hold’Em, there are different ways you can play it. The main difference between the three versions of the cash game is the playing methods. These variations include: 

1. Fixed Limit Texas Hold’Em

Fixed limit game is probably the easiest of the three cash games in terms of gameplay. You receive a certain number of chips that you can stake at any moment, and a specific number of raises before the pot is closed.

Also referred to Structured Limit Hold’Em, this game doesn’t require you to factor in many wagering strategies like the pot variation cash game. The amount that can be raised in the pot is predetermined and limited, making it possible for the number of hands to open considerably – less folding.

2. No-Limit Texas Hold’Em

No limit Hold’em is the mac daddy of online Texas Hold’Em games, and it is the game played in Online World Poker Tournaments. There is no limit on the amount you can stake, hence the name. 

The ability to choose your bet limit adds a new layer of strategies to an already complex game. Your stake stack is critical; having the lowest stake can put you at a disadvantage against other punters at your table.

It is harder to win the no-limit version because you need to juggle the betting structure, strategies, rules, and nuances of the game. 

3. Pot Limit Texas Hold’Em 

The pot limit version is halfway between the no limit and the limit variants. The amount you can raise is capped according to the size of the pot. 

This Texas Hold’em poker game has many wagering strategies, but it’s not as hard to master as those of no-limit variant. It is an intermediate game that helps to even the small and big stacks at the table.

Texas Hold’Em Tournament Games

Another version of Online Texas Hold’Em is the traditional tournament games that come with buy-ins where you can pay €X to participate. The tournaments often have hundreds to thousands of participants and usually take a long time to complete – sometimes it can take more than 10 hours.  

The blinds increase as the game continues and the chips in front of you don’t reflect the money you can win. You only receive some cash if you finish in a specific position, and the amount depends on the rank you finish.

Sit and Go Texas Hold’Em 

Sit and Go Texas Hold’Em is a variant of the Texas Hold’Em Tournament and is found exclusively online. The game has very few participants (often around 10), and it starts when all the players sit down, hence Sit and Go.  

These tournaments are faster than the original version and are quite popular because punters don’t need to invest much time. Sit and Go follows the same rules as the main game.

Spread Limit Texas Hold’Em

This variant has predetermined minimum and maximum stakes, only allowing you to bet within that range. For example, you can get a game that provides a range of between €10 to €20.

What Are Blinds in Texas Hold’Em?    

Blinds are two forced wagers that are placed into a pot to generate excitement and kickstart the action. They come in two forms: small and big blinds. A small blind is half the amount of the big one.

The first punter on the left side of the dealer stakes the small blind while the second player bets the big blind. The third player then decides if he or she wants to join the bet or not. 

The blinds remain the same for every table, and you need to shift to another table to get higher or lower blinds. However, in Hold’em tournaments, the blinds increase gradually within an interval of 15 to 20 minutes.

Texas Hold’Em Rules/How to Play

The rules of this poker game are logical and straightforward. They only require a few minutes to learn. But before that you need to understand the meaning of a few terms, which are:

  • Blinds – forced bets (explained above). 
  • Button – the player, acting as a dealer in the present hand.
  • Check – same as a call, but no cash is wagered (big blind can check if there is no raise preflop).
  • Preflop – any action that happens before the flop.
  • Flop – first three community (public) cards dealt.
  • Turn – fourth public card dealt (fourth street).
  • River – final public card dealt (fifth street).
  • All-in – a player puts the rest of the chips into the pot.
  • Showdown – players show their hands to determine the winner.

The Three Stages of Texas Hold’em Gameplay

A Texas Hold’Em online game can be divided into three stages: setup, betting rounds, and showdown.

Setup Stage

The setup stage involves getting the participants around the table loaded up with chips. That is followed by picking the person who will act as the dealer (start with the dealer button) if you are not playing in a live casino. 

Note that the dealer button is passed on to the player on the left after every hand. Every person is given one card, and the one with the highest value starts the dealer’s button. 

Now it is time to place the blinds (as explained above), and the person dealing the cards gives them out from the player with the button going clockwise. Each punter gets one card and then a second round follows until every player has two cards (hole cards), face down. 

Betting Stage

One round of Texas Hold’Em is made up of at least one to a maximum of four staking rounds. The session (hand) ends if all players fold or the fourth round completes – whichever comes first.

When the participants get the two cards, the game moves to the pre-flop wagering round. Every player decides what to do, one person at a time starting from the left side of the big blind.  

Punters can then take three actions:

  • Fold – throw away the hand and pay nothing, wait for the next round.
  • Call – match the big blind amount (limping in).
  • Raise – double the big blind amount (or raise more depending on the Texas Hold’Em variant).

Once the preflop round is complete, the game enters the flop round where the top card (burn card) in the deck is dealt face down on the table. It is then followed by three cards face up at the center of the table. 

The players can use the three cards to form their best five-card poker hand. The flop round follows the same rule as the pre-flop round, except that the first person to act is the second player to the left side of the dealer. That punter can bet or check because there is no stake made – calling is free.

Once the round is complete, the dealer burns another card face down, followed by one card facing up at the center of the table. That is called the turn and is followed by the third wagering round. It is like the second betting round, except that the stake size is doubled (just like the final (river) wagering round).  

The final round is called the river and follows the same rules as the turn.

Caveat: 

Mobilebet.com does not offer online poker games. We have written this guide to give our players who might be interested in learning more about Texas Hold’Em a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the game. Click here to view our collection of live poker games and  video slots including progressive jackpot slots such as Megah Moolah and Mega Fortune Dreams.  

Showdown Stage

The best five-card Texas Hold’Em poker hand takes the pot or split the pot if two or more persons win. Showdown follows these rules:

  • The punter who wagers on the river reveals the hand first (other players can choose to, that’s ok).
  • If no one bets, the participant on the left side of the dealer shows the hand first (continue clockwise).
  • A punter with a losing hand can choose to reveal the cards or muck and concede the pot.

Conclusion

There are different variants of Texas Hold’Em online games to ensure that you get your preferred option. Choose the one that suits your needs and remember that the only way to learn this game is to practice. We suggest starting with our live dealer games now.