With the development of online card games, games that were previously only found in casinos have been recreated authentically and vividly. And do you know what game is dubbed the “King of Casinos”? If you don’t, it would be a huge omission for a fan of online card games today. In this article, ACEPH will delve into the card game dubbed the “King of Casinos,” which is Poker, also known as Texas Holdem.
Although the rules of Poker are considered quite complicated, the popularity of this card game has not decreased. Through movies and real-life casinos, the dramatic and intellectual poker games always delight Poker fans around the world. Let’s delve into the details below!
Introduction to Poker – Texas Holdem
There are many views on the origin of Poker. Therefore, the original origin of this poker game seems to still be a mystery.
However, one thing that few people expect is that the poker game with a deck of 52 cards of 4 suits today, known and loved by everyone, was developed in the United States in the 19th century. Poker first appeared on steamboats on the Mississippi River and then spread widely. Texas poker gradually became popular during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865 with many different variations such as draw poker or stud poker,…
Poker uses a standard deck of 52 cards. At the beginning of each hand, each player is dealt their own cards. And then the community cards are revealed on the table. A hand consists of betting rounds after the community cards in the middle are turned over one by one until there are 5 cards. Playing Poker is not simple at all. And to understand the rules of Poker, players need to focus and spend a certain amount of time learning. Currently, Poker has been introduced on most online game portals.
Poker Rules – Texas Holdem
The minimum number of players in a table is 2 and the maximum is 9. A standard deck of 52 cards is used.
Poker Texas Holdem Round
On the Poker table, the position of the player will be determined based on a circular symbol with the letter D (dealer), and it will move from one person to another in a clockwise direction.
A typical Poker hand has 4 betting rounds:
- Round 1: Preflop. Players are dealt 2 private cards, also known as hole cards. Players can start betting with these 2 hole cards.
- Round 2: Flop. 3 more cards are dealt on the table.
- Round 3: Turn. 1 more card is dealt on the table to the set of 3 cards above.
- Round 4: River. The last card of the 5 community cards is dealt.
After the 5 community cards have been revealed, whoever has the strongest hand combination between the hole cards and the community cards will win. In a Poker hand, when one person bets and all the remaining players do not follow, the hand ends. After each betting round, all bets are put into one place called the Pot.
According to the rules in Poker, a betting round only ends after all players have placed equal bets and no one raises further. The winner will be the one who takes all the bets in the Pot. However, in case you have gone all-in, you only get the amount of money at the time of the all-in.
Options in the game
In each betting round of Texas Holdem, when it’s their turn, players have the following options:
- Bet: When no one has placed a bet at the table, the first person to bet will be considered the Bet. After that, those who want to continue the hand must put in an amount of money equal to the first Bet. If they feel they cannot follow, players can Fold.
- Fold: When you see that your hand is bad and difficult to win, or you don’t want to put money to follow your opponent, you can choose to fold. When you fold, this hand is over for you, and of course, you will also lose the money you bet before.
- Check: After looking at your cards, if no one has bet yet, you can also wait for the actions of other players.
- Call: Is the action of the player putting in an additional amount of money equal to the amount that the previous person Bet to be able to continue the hand.
- Raise: Is the action of raising the bet. The minimum amount is equal to the small bet. Players can choose the amount themselves. The maximum amount is equal to the largest amount of another player.
- All-in: Bet all the money you have on the table.
How to Play Poker – Texas Holdem
Starting the game, there will be 2 players who must place the first forced bets, starting from the person next to the dealer:
- The first person enters according to the minimum bet (Small blind).
- The next person enters a bet twice the Small blind (Big blind).
Then each person in the table is dealt 2 cards and the hand will proceed in the following order:
| Round | Details |
| Preflop | In the first betting round, the player to the left of the BigBlind must make the first decision. From the second round onwards, the first player to act is always the one to the left of the Dealer, which is the player who posted the SmallBlind in the first round. |
| Flop | Deal 3 community cards, this is called the Flop. During the second betting round, players can Check, Call, Bet, Raise, or Fold depending on their strategy and the situation on the table. At the end of this round, the bets are collected into the Pot. If there are still players who have not folded, the game continues to the Turn. |
| Turn | This is the third betting round for the remaining players. Their task is to calculate and combine their 2 hole cards with the 4 Community Cards to make the best decision. At the end of this round, bets are collected into the Pot, and the remaining players move to the River round. |
| River | This is the fourth and final betting round for the remaining players. After this betting round, the players will have 2 hole cards and 5 Community Cards on the table to form the best 5-card poker hand. The player with the strongest poker hand wins and takes all the money in the Pot. |
Hand Ranking in Poker – Texas Holdem
| Name | Meaning |
| High card | No combinations as listed below |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank |
| Two Pairs | Two pairs |
| Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| Straight | Five cards in a sequence (but not all same suit)c |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit (but not in sequence) |
| Full House | Three of a kind and a pair |
| Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in a sequence, all same suit |
| Royal Straight Flush | Straight flush with Ace as the highest card |
Except for the Small blind and Big blind who will lose the initial small bet, the amount of money in the game depends on the ability of each player at the table. At the end of the hand, whoever has the strongest hand will be the winner and take all the money in the Pot.
