Texas Holdem Poker How To Deal

Table Of Contents

• How To Deal Texas Holdem Poker
• Texas Holdem Poker Dealer
• How To Deal Texas Holdem Poker Videos

A Texas holdem player isn’t an athlete in the traditional sense, but a strong mind resides in a strong body – so do what you need to do to keep your body healthy and strong. Probably the worst thing you can do for your health AND your poker game is to pollute your body with alcohol and drugs. This video shows you the basics of dealing a hand of Texas Hold 'em. When dealing you always start off dealing the cards to your left; deal two cards to each player to start the initial round of betting. After the round of betting is over you 'burn' one card by placing it face down, then turn over three cards called the 'flop'. This is followed by a round of betting. Then you burn one card. In a game of Texas Hold ‘em, the dealer duties rotate from one player to another between hands, which means that the dealer button will inevitably make its way around to you.

If you want to learn how to play Texas hold'em games, then you need to start from the basic rules and hands. That's exactly what you'll find on this beginner's guide to the game.

Texas hold'em is a simple poker game, but it can be daunting to get to grips with.

But don't let that put you off. By the time you are down with this beginner's guide to Texas hold'em, you will know:

1. What Is Texas Hold'em Poker?

Texas Hold'em is the most popular of all poker variations.

All of the marquee tournaments around the world (including those played at the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, the and the European Poker Tour) feature the no-limit variation of this game.

Texas hold'em is so popular that is the only poker game many players will ever learn.

It takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Discovering how to play Texas hold'em poker is not difficult and the simplicity of its rules, gameplay, and hand-ranking all contribute to the popularity of the game.

However, don't let the simplicity of the game mislead you.

The number of possible situations and combinations is so vast that Texas hold'em can be an extremely complex game when you play at the highest levels.

If you are approaching the game of Texas hold'em for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key. Not only these are the easiest ones to learn, but they are also essential to understand the gameplay and, later on, the game's basic strategy.

Want to Practice Poker Online?

These are the best sites to play free games of Texas hold'em online. Use your e-mail address to register and sit at the free tables to play!

'>

2. Texas Hold'em Rules

So how do you play Texas hold'em?

The goal of a Texas hold'em game is to use your hole card and in combination with the community cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand.

Hold'em is not unlike other poker games like five-card draw.

However, the way players construct their hands in Texas hold'em is a little different than in draw poker.

It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

• In a game of Texas hold'em, each player is dealt two cards face down (the 'hole cards')
• Throughout several betting rounds, five more cards are (eventually) dealt face up in the middle of the table
• These face-up cards are called the 'community cards.' Each player is free to use the community cards in combination with their hole cards to build a five-card poker hand.

While we will see each betting round and different phase that forms a full hand of a Texas hold'em game, you should know that the five community cards are dealt in three stages:

• The Flop: the first three community cards.
• The Turn: the fourth community card.
• The River:The fifth and final community card.

Your mission is to construct your five-card poker hands using the best available five cards out of the seven total cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards).

You can do that by using both your hole cards in combination with three community cards, one hole card in combination with four community cards, or no hole cards.

If the cards on the table lead to a better combination, you can also play all five community cards and forget about yours.

In a game of Texas hold'em you can do whatever works to make the best five-card hand.

If the betting causes all but one player to fold, the lone remaining player wins the pot without having to show any cards.

For that reason, players don't always have to hold the best hand to win the pot. It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

READ ALSO: Common Poker Tells: How to Read People in Poker

If two or more players make it all of the way to the showdown after the last community card is dealt and all betting is complete, the only way to win the pot is to have the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Now that you know the basics of Texas hold'em and you start to begin gaining an understanding of how the game works, it's time to get into some specifics.

These include how to deal Texas hold'em and how the betting works.

Basic Rules Key Takeaways:

• A game of Texas hold'em feature several betting rounds
• Players get two private and up to five community cards
• Unless all players abandon the game before the showdown, you need the highest poker hand to win

How to Play

Let's have a look at all the different key aspects of a Texas hold'em game, including the different positions at the table and the betting rounds featured in the game.

The Button

The play moves clockwise around the table, starting with action to the left of the dealer button.

The 'button' is a round disc that sits in front of a player and is rotated one seat to the left every hand.

When playing in casinos and poker rooms, the player with the dealer button doesn't deal the cards (the poker room hires someone to do that).

In when you play poker home games with friends the player with the button usually deals the hands.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

The first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a 'small blind' and a 'big blind' to initiate the betting.

From there, the action occurs on multiple streets:

• Preflop
• Flop
• Turn
• River

Each one of these moments (or 'streets' in the game's lingo) is explained further below.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

In Texas hold'em, the player on button, or last active player closest to the button receives the last action on all post-flop streets of play.

While the dealer button dictates which players have to post the small and big blinds, it also determines where the dealing of the cards begin.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button in the small blind receives the first card and then the dealer pitches cards around the table in a clockwise motion from player to player until each has received two starting cards.

READ ALSO: Poker Positions Explained: the Importance of Position in Poker

The Blinds

Before every new hand begins, two players at the table are obligated to post small and big blinds.

The blinds are forced bets that begin the wagering.

Without these blinds, the game would be very boring because no one would be required to put any money into the pot and players could just wait around until they are dealt pocket aces (AA) and only play then.

The blinds ensure there will be some level of 'action' on every hand.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals. In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals.

• As the number of players keeps decreasing and the stacks of the remaining players keep getting bigger, it is a necessity that the blinds keep increasing throughout a tournament. [*]In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

The player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to his or her direct left posts the big blind.

The small blind is generally half the amount of the big blind, although this stipulation varies from room to room and can also be dependent on the game being played.

In a '$1/$2' Texas holdem game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.

First Betting Round: Preflop

The first round of betting takes place right after each player has been dealt two hole cards.

The first player to act is the player to the left of the big blind.

This position referred to as 'under the gun' because the player has to act first. The first player has three options:

• Call: match the amount of the big blind
• Raise: increase the bet within the specific limits of the game
• Fold: throw the hand away

If the player chooses to fold, he or she is out of the game and no longer eligible to win the current hand.

Players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

The amount a player can raise to depends on the game that is being played.

In a game of no-limit Texas hold'em, the minimum opening raise must be at least twice the big blind, and the maximum raise can be all of the chips a player has in his or her stack (an 'all-in' bet).

There are other betting variations in hold'em poker.

In fixed-limit hold'em (or just 'limit hold'em), a raise is always exactly twice the big blind.

In pot-limit hold'em (played much less often than the other variations), players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

After the first player ('under the gun') acts, the play proceeds in a clockwise fashion around the table with each player also having the same three options — to call, to raise, or fold.

Once the last bet is called and the action is 'closed,' the preflop round is over and play moves on to the 'flop.'

Second Betting Round: The Flop

After the first preflop betting round has been completed, the first three community cards are dealt and a second betting round follows involving only the players who have not folded already.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

In this betting round (and subsequent ones), the action starts with the first active player to the left of the button.

Along with the options to bet, call, fold, or raise, a player now has the option to 'check' if no betting action has occurred beforehand.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

Again betting continues until the last bet or raise has been called (which closes the action).

It also can happen that every player simply chooses not to be and checks around the table, which also ends the betting round.

Third Betting Round: The Turn

Call – match the amount of the big blind

The fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the flop.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to that on the previous street of play.

Again players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

Final Betting Round: The River

Fold – throw the hand away

The fifth community card, called the river, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the turn.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to what took play on the previous street of play.

Once more the remaining players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

After all betting action has been completed, the remaining players in the hand with hole cards now expose their holdings to determine a winner. This is called the showdown.

The Showdown

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available

The remaining players show their hole cards, and with the assistance of the dealer, a winning hand is determined.

The player with the best combination of five cards wins the pot according to the official poker hand rankings.

3. The Hands in Texas Hold'em

How To Deal Texas Holdem Poker

These hand rankings aren't specifically part of Texas hold'em rules, but apply to many different poker games.

• Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g., A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥
• Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g., 9♣8♣7♣6♣5♣
• Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g., Q♣Q♥Q♦Q♠4♦
• Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., J♣J♥J♠8♦8♥
• Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g., A♠J♠8♠5♠2♠
• Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g., Q♣J♦10♥9♠8♦
• Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g., 8♣8♠8♦K♣4♥
• Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., A♠A♣J♦J♣7♠
• One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g., 10♥10♣9♥4♦2♦
• High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., A♣J♦10♠5♣2♥ would be called 'ace-high'

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available (their two hole cards and the five community cards).

If the board is showing 9♣5♠K♦3♠A♥, a player with the two hole cards 9♠ would have two pair (aces and nines) and would lose to a player who has 9♦9♥ for three of a kind (three nines).

Learning hold'em poker begins with understanding how hands are dealt and the order of play as described above.

Of course, learning Texas hold'em rules is just the beginning, as the next step is to learn strategy which involves understanding what constitutes good starting hand selection, the odds and probabilities associated with the game, the significance of position and getting to act last during those post-flop betting rounds, and many other aspects of the game.

4. How to Play Texas Hold'em Games Online

Now that you know how Texas Hold'em works, it's time to put the theory into practice and play your first games.

The best way to start playing Texas Hold'em is to start from these free poker games available online and then move up to the real money action only when you feel comfortable enough to do so.

All the 'must-have poker rooms' below offer free games to practice online.

If you are completely new to the game, you should go for play money options, first. These risk-free games with fake money are an excellent way to familiarise with the different moments of play and the betting rounds.

The play money games are a great way to learn more about the hand rankings and begin to read the board fast enough to take all the right decisions at the right time.

After that, you should more to the poker freerolls. These are free poker tournaments with actual prizes on tap that range from free money to free entries into more expensive real money games.

Must Have Rooms

Home to the biggest tournaments online, these rooms also have the largest player base, great bonuses, tons of action and the best software. If you don't have accounts here, you are missing out on the best that online poker has to offer.

PartyPokerplatinum

Up to $30 of Free Play

RATING

9.9 ★

Key features

• Excellent mobile poker games
• Lots of free and real-money action
• One of the most trusted brands in online gaming

Though much of this page sounds like a how to play Texas
holdem page, it goes beyond this. You’re getting ready to learn
how to deal a Texas holdem game and how to run the game as well.

If you want to be a competent holdem dealer you need to know
how to run a game in addition to how to deal the cards. Most
players know how to deal cards, but they often don’t understand
what it takes to be a competent dealer.

Most poker dealers make a small hourly wage and make most of
their income based on tips. Good dealers run a game with little
or no mistakes and understand that the more hands they can deal
per hour the more they stand to make in tips.

Texas Holdem Poker Dealer

Before Each Deal

Before each hand is dealt you need to prepare for the hand.
If you’re opening a new table you need to determine which player
gets to start on the button. The button is the player who acts
in the dealer position, or last on each betting round after the
first one.

The dealer or button position is designated by a white disk
that says dealer on it. As the actual dealer you need to make
sure the dealer button is moved one place to the left after each
deal. The two blinds also move to the left one place after each
hand and you need to make sure the players place the correct
amount out for each of the blinds.

The blind levels are set by the house and the small blind is
usually half the big blind. In a limit Texas holdem game the big
blind is the same amount as the lower betting limit and the
small blind is half the big blind.

Please Note

How To Deal Texas Holdem Poker Videos

You’ll often need to make change for players in
the blinds. If the big blind is $10 and the player in that
position puts out a $25 chip you take the $25 chip, give the
player $15 and place the $10 blind in front of the player.

To determine which player is awarded the button when opening
a new table you shuffle a deck of cards and deal one card face
up to each player starting with the player to your immediate
left. The player who gets the highest card is awarded the dealer
button. If two or more players tie for the highest card the
first one to your left who tied is the dealer.

You need to make sure no one has cards remaining from the
last hand and you need to either hand shuffle the cards or place
the deck in an automatic shuffler and retrieve a freshly
shuffled deck from the machine.

Occasionally the player to the immediate left of the big
blind places a bet of twice the big blind and announces it as a
straddle. This acts as a type of third blind and isn’t legal in
all card rooms.

Before the deal is the time you can make change for players
and welcome new players to the game. Depending on the house
rules, a new player is given the choice to wait until their big
blind or post an amount equal to the big blind and get dealt
into the current hand. A few poker rooms let you start playing
immediately without posting a bet.

The Cards

Once you have all of the housekeeping things taken care of
you move to the part of each hand where you deal the cards. It’s
important to protect the cards in a way where players can’t see
any of the card values when you shuffle or deal. It’s easy to
get sloppy and start lofting the cards as you deal them.

You also need to watch flashing the value of the bottom card.
Many poker rooms use a cut card to cover the bottom card of the
deck.

Before the Flop

Each hand starts with dealing a single card face down to the
player in the small blind. If the player supposed to be in the
small blind has left you deal the first card to the first active
player to the left of the button. You then continue dealing one
card face down to each active player to the left. This continues
until each player has received two face down cards.

Once all of the cards have been dealt the first player to the
left of the big blind is the first to act. You may point to this
player if it doesn’t look like they’re paying attention. You can
also say the action is on you as you point.

In the first betting round the players call the big blind,
fold, or raise. Betting action continues to the left until
everyone has called the last highest bet. In an un-raised pot
the action ends with the big blind. As players fold they’re
supposed to slide their cards face down to you and you put them
in a pile called the muck. It’s important to protect these cards
like the deck you’re dealing from so no one can see the value of
them.

The Flop

Once all of the betting action has been completed before the
flop you deal the flop. The top card on the deck goes into the
muck. The muck is the name used for the discard pile. This is
called a burn card.

Then you take the next three cards and place them face up in
the center of the table. This is called the flop and they’re the
first three of five total community cards.

The first remaining player to the left of the button is the
first to act on the flop. They can check or bet. Play continues
to the left. If there’s been a bet the next player can fold,
call, or raise. Play continues until all of the remaining
players have called the last highest raise. When no one bets,
each player may check. If all players check, play continues to
the turn.

The Turn

After the flop you burn another card and turn one card face
up beside the flop. This is the fourth of five community cards.

The betting is conducted the same as after the flop except in
a limit game the bets on the turn and river are at the higher
limit.

After all of the betting has been completed on the turn you
move on to the river.

The River

A final card is burnt and the final community card is placed
face up beside the other four cards.

The betting round is conducted the same as the turn.

After all of the betting has been completed the remaining
players turn over their cards to see who wins the hand. If a bet
and call was made, the person who was called is the first to
show their hand. Then hands are revealed to the left until
everyone has folded or shown their hand.

In most poker rooms a player doesn’t have to show her hand if
she will lose. Instead of turning over her cards after seeing
her opponent’s hand she can simply throw her cards in face down,
surrendering her hand. The house rules cover this possibility,
but this is the normal way to handle it.

Don’t ever look at cards thrown in from a player. Simply put
them in the muck and continue with the hand. Unless it’s covered
in the house rules, other players may not see the discards
either.

Remember

You must protect the deck you’re dealing from and
the discards at all times. No players may ever be allowed to
touch any of the cards except their two hole cards.

If the river has no betting action the first player to the
left of the button remaining in the hand is the first to turn
her cards face up. Play continues the left.

Once the players show their cards you must look at each hand
and determine the winner. Never take a player’s word for the
strength of their hand. Players make mistakes all of the time
and if you try to award the pot to the wrong player it can get
ugly quickly.

Warning

You’ll also find some players who lie about what
they hold to try to get their opponent to fold. You have to make
sure this doesn’t happen.

As you determine the winning hand slide the community cards
forward that are used with the winning player’s hole cards to
form the winning hand so all of the players can clearly see
which cards are used to form the hand. You should also announce
the winning hand. This gives the other players the chance to ask
for an explanation or point out a possible error.

At the End of the Hand

After the showdown at the end of the hand you give the money
in the pot to the player who won. At some point in the hand you
need to collect the rake from the pot if you’re dealing in a
room that takes rake.

Most Texas holdem dealers collect the rake as money is being
put into the pot, but you may be able to do it toward the end of
the hand. Each poker room has their own house rules concerning
rake so your method depends somewhat on these rules.

Here’s an example:

The poker room where you’re dealing has a policy that they
rake each hand 10% up to a maximum of $5 and if there’s no flop
there’s no rake collected. To simplify your rake collection in
this case you don’t worry about it until after the flop. Once
you deal the flop and all betting has been completed on the flop
make a quick mental calculation and take roughly 10% from the
pot and place it beside the rake drop box.

Don’t drop the rake in the box yet unless the pot has reached
at least $50. If the pot is at least $50 it’s simple. Just take
$5 and drop it in the rake box and you’re finished with the rake
for the hand.

If the pot is lower than $50 you have a few dollars in rake.
You may need to make change in the pot to be able to do this. If
the pot has $20 in it, put five $1 chips in for a $5 chip, then
take $2 out for the rake.

When $20 more goes into the pot on the turn take $2 more out
and place it with the first $2 you took for the rake. When the
pot finally moves past the $50 mark put the $4 you’ve collected
back into the pot and take out a $5 chip and drop it for the
rake.

Remember

The poker room makes money from collecting rake. If
you forget to collect the rake or collect less than you’re
supposed to the players will be happy, but you’ll soon be out of
a job. Don’t ever forget to collect the rake and do it in a
manner that doesn’t interfere with the flow of the game.

You have to be able to juggle multiple things while dealing
Texas holdem without making any mistakes, but with a little
practice you can quickly become a pro.

Most players won’t surrender their cards until you give them
the pot when they win. This is fine, but you have to remember to
collect the cards after giving them the pot.

The Players

Without players you wouldn’t have a job as a dealer. Of
course you wouldn’t have the constant headaches that players
create either, so some days your choice of the two things may be
a tossup.

The majority of Texas holdem players are polite and fairly
easy to deal with, but a few bad apples can threaten an entire
game. You’ll find players who’re rude, mean, abusive, try to
cheat, drunk, and obnoxious.

The sooner you’re able to learn how to deal with each type of
player the better. And while you’re learning how to deal with
problem players you have to remember that the majority of your
income comes from players giving you money.

This doesn’t mean you should go soft on trouble players in
hopes they give you tips. Some players will tip you more when
you handle other problem players quickly and effectively. Most
players want a quiet straightforward game without a bunch of
drama.

It’s difficult to know exactly how to handle all of the
possible situations that arise at the tables because you never
know what to expect. But once you start handling things in a
professional manner you’ll start getting a reputation with
players. Do everything you can to make this a good reputation.
If the players like you and feel you run a good game you’ll earn
more in tips.

Some poker players enjoy stirring the pot and try to make
other players mad or upset to throw them off their game. Most of
the time you need to ignore this and keep the game moving. But
sometimes players cross the line. You need to quickly and
decisively handle every situation that crosses the line.

Racial slurs and threats are two that demand immediate
attention. Give a stern warning based on the policy of the room
where you’re dealing and if the players refuse to do what
they’re told get the floor personnel and / or security involved.

Top Tip

Your best tactic when dealing with players is to
remain calm and never react to anything they say or do. If
they’re abusive to you the best policy is to continue dealing in
the best manner possible.

You never win when you react to a player abusing you. But
when you take it with a smile, most of the time other players
will come to your aid as long as you’re doing a good job. Even
if no other players speak up, many will slip you an extra dollar
or two on their next tip.

It can be hard to deal with problem players, but they don’t
have to make your dealing experience negative unless you let
them.

Some players never tip and there’s nothing that says they
have to. While many dealers take this personally, you have to
view these players as the cost of doing business. You need
enough players to run a game and even if a couple of the players
don’t tip they still help you earn from the other players.

Focus on providing the best possible gaming experience for
the players at the fastest possible pace without making mistakes
and you should be able to earn a decent amount of tips.

If you catch players cheating you need to get the floor
involved immediately. But if you only suspect a player or
players of cheating you need to keep your mouth shut and keep
the game moving. You can let the floor know your suspicions
between shifts at the table but don’t stop the game unless you
have proof or are 100% sure. Most cheats will deny it no matter
what so you must be prepared to defend any accusation you make.

Summary

Dealing Texas holdem can be a rewarding occupation. The key
is being able to juggle the different responsibilities while
keeping the game running quickly and smoothly. No one’s perfect,
but as you gain experience and practice your skills you should
be able to build a good reputation with the regular players,
which leads to more tips.