The popularity of online poker is on an everlasting high and one of the most played games in this category is certainly Texas Holdā€™em Poker. Sometimes referred to as Holdem, this poker variant is considered to be one of the simpler poker games, due to its simplicity in terms of gameplay, rules and the ranking of hands. Nevertheless, the level of complexity can also be quite high when looking at the possible combinations. So overall, the easy-to-understand rules plus the complex available combinations make Texas Holdā€™em absolutely thrilling and a perfect fit for all skill-levels. 

The overall goal of Texas Holdā€™em is – just as in many poker games – to get the best possible hand of five cards by combining the hole cards with the community cards. You donā€™t know what that is? Keep reading as we dive deeper into the world of Texas Holdem poker and look at the rules, the hand rankings and also add some tips and tricks to keep you on the winning side. 

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How to play Texas Hold'em

How to play Texas Hold’em Poker?

As mentioned before, the ultimate goal of poker is to get the strongest poker hand. How do you get there? Let’s take a look at the sequence of Texas Hold’em:

Each game round starts when the first two cards are dealt. These cards are facing down and are called ā€œhole cardsā€. Once received, the players make their initial bets. The next step is for the dealer to spread a total of five cards on the table – the so-called ā€œcommunity cardsā€. The community cards can be used  to make the strongest possible hand. 

In the first step, the dealer only reveals three of those five cards. Before the fourth and fifth card are revealed, the players have the chance to bet. In each round, players can either check, bet or fold. All players that are still in the game in the final round, reveal their hands and the player with the best poker hand wins. Letā€™s take an even closer look at the rounds of Texas Holdā€™em.

Basically,  there are five stages of Texas Holdā€™em: the opening deal, the Flop, the Turn, the River and the Showdown. Between every stage, the players can place their bets. 

The Opening Deal/Pre-Flop

Once you have taken a seat at your preferred Texas Holdā€™em table, every player receives 2 cards.  These cards are facing down and are the personal cards for each player. Now the game moves in a clockwise direction and you have three options: Call, Raise or Fold. 

  • Call: you bet the same amount as the player who has started usually called ā€œthe big blindā€
  • Raise: you increase the bet amount within the available limits of the game
  • Fold: you quit the game round by abandoning your hand. You are out of the game and cannot win this round anymore!

This round ends when all players have made their bets and all actions are closed.

The Flop

During this stage, the dealer spreads three cards – the community cards – on the table. Players who are still in the game now have to proceed with the second round of betting. While the three actions – call, raise and fold – are still available, players also have the opportunity to ā€œcheckā€. This means that the player passes the action on to the next player. This betting round ends once each player has made their move. 

The Turn

In the third round of betting, the fourth community card is dealt. It is called the ā€œTurnā€ and is facing up. Just like in the previous rounds, players have to place their bet once the card is dealt. Again, the options ā€œcheckā€, ā€œbetā€, ā€œcallā€, ā€œfoldā€ or ā€œraiseā€ are available. 

The River

In the fourth and final betting round, the last community card – called the ā€œRiverā€ – is dealt. Players proceed to the last round of betting before reaching the final stage of Texas Holdā€™em.

The Showdown

After the last round of betting, all remaining players reveal their hole cards. This stage is called the ā€œshowdownā€ and the player with the highest hand – based on official poker hand rankings- wins. 

Tips and Tricks to win Texas Holdem

Texas Holdā€™em – Tips and Tricks

  • Manage your bets: At the beginning of your poker journey, we advise you to place small bets. Once you are more familiar with the game, you should manage your bets correctly by observing what is happening on the table. If you, for example, have a rather strong hand, you could bet higher amounts. Just keep your budget in check. 
  • Know your position at the table: When playing poker, your seating position can help to be more successful. The best seat is the ā€œon the buttonā€ seat. Here you are the last player to act in all betting rounds. This gives you the advantage of knowing what all other players have done before it is your turn. 
  • Monitor your fellow players: It is important to observe what is happening at the poker table and what other players are doing. If you have mastered the game, you can even try to guess what possible combinations the other players might have based on the community cards. 

Texas Holdā€™em vs. Casino Holdā€™em

When playing at an online casino, you will come across both versions of poker and might wonder, what the difference is. Basically, Texas Holdā€™em is played against other players, while in Casino Holdā€™em itā€™s just you against the dealer. So, you decide whether you want to have a complete interactive experience where you can chat with fellow players while playing Texas Holdā€™em or rather keep to yourself and enjoy a game of Casino Holdā€™em poker. 

Our Verdict

Texas Hold’em is a highly popular variants of poker due to its simpler rules and gameplay. You can choose between playing for real with other players and fully immerse into the world of poker or playing for fun to familiarise yourself with the rules and master the game of poker. We are sure that you will definitely enjoy playing Texas Hold’em. So go to your favourite online casino for African players now and feel the thrill of online poker!