[ English | Deutsch | Español | Français | Italiano ]

In hold’em, the initial step is to get the game started, and for this the players put out a particular total of money. ‘Posting the blinds’ is the frequently used term for this play. In the following step, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals out 2 cards face down to all players. A regular deck of fifty two playing cards is used in the deal. Then there is the first sequence of wagering. This sequence is often known as a "pre-flop".

Following the first wagering sequence, the top card of the deck is discarded. This discarded card is known as the "burn card", and this is performed to make sure that there is no cheating. The following 3 cards are then flipped face up on the poker table. These cards are known as ‘the flop’. Now comes a second round of wagering, after which the dealer throws away another card and deals one more card onto the poker table. After this, players can use the 6th card to form a five-card poker hand.

A further round of betting happens, and in a good many types of games, here is where the bet amount doubles. There is a further round of tossing aside a card, and a final placing of a card face-up on the table. This is known as the "river". Competitors can now make use of any of the five cards on the board, or the 2 cards that they are holding, to create a 5card poker hand.

To wrap it up there is a last round of betting. Then, all the remaining players begin to reveal their hands. This is referred to as the "showdown". Obviously, the bettor who shows the highest hand is the winner. When gamblers have tied hands a sharing of the winnings is considered.

Holdem is a simple game to understand, but to acquire ability it requires a ton of studying.