Listen to the advice that I dont listen too and play better poker....

Listen to the advice that I dont listen to and play better poker....

No Limit Texas Holdem Basics

For anyone interested but completely new to the game, or anyone who has a rough idea how to play and wants to set up their own game/ play a bit online this may help. No Limit Holdem is about having a stronger card hand than your opponent, or if not, making him think you have the strongest hand so you can win without having to reveal it.


Object:
To combine the two cards in your hand with the five on the table to make a stronger five card hand than you opponent and win the pot.
To bet so that all your opponents fold and you win the pot without showing your hand.
To know when to fold weak or beaten hands without losing too many chips.

Playing the game: Everyone gets dealt two cards face down. You can look at your own cards but not anyone elses. the person immediately to the dealers left is in the "small blind", the person to his left is in the "big blind". This means these two players have to place a bet at the start of the hand regardless of their cards. The blind levels are established at the start and in a tournament are incremental ,starting at say, 10/20 ,where the small blind must put ten chips in the pot and the big blind twenty chips.

The person directly to the big blinds left plays first, either calling the big blinds bet, raising it to more chips or folding his hand. After folding you play no more part in the rest of the hand. If a player elects to raise(a minimum raise being twice the big blind) the other players (including the blinds when play comes round to them) must call this new amount to continue.

Once all players have either called the raised amount or folded, play continues to the "flop" where three cards are placed face up in the middle of the table.Now another round of betting can take place, with players having the option to check (not bet) or bet. This and subsequent rounds starts with the small blind betting first, and the dealer betting last, dependant on who is left in the hand) . Play then continues with the "turn" or "4th street" where a fourth card is placed face up on the table.Here follows another round of betting from left to right.Any players still in the hand will then see a fifth card, "the river", and a final round of betting will ensue. If a final bet is called the players left in will "showdown" where they compare their two cards with the five in the centre to make a five card hand, the strongest hand winning all the money in the pot. If at any point one player makes a raise and everyone else folds then that player wins the pot directly without having to show his cards, although he may choose to do so.

The next hand starts with all the positions shifting one to the left, so the big blind becomes the small blind, and the small blind becomes the dealer.

Card Hand Rankings:
Royal Flush ( a 10, Jack, Queen, King , Ace all of the same suit)
Straight flush ( five cards in ascending order all of the same suit)
Four of a kind ( four cards the same, best being AAAA, worst being 2222)
Full House (three cards the same and another pair, best being AAAKK)
Flush( Five cards of the same suit)
Straight( five cards in ascending order (best being ten jack queen king ace) of any suit)
Three of a kind (three cards the same best being AAA)
Two pair( two pairs of cards such as Ace Ace and King King)
One Pair( Best being a pair of Aces weakest being a pair of twos)
High Card( none of the above, whichever is the highest card you hold i.e Ace High)





Winning the game:
In a cash game the game may finish at a previously decided point, or players may leave the table when they wish with their respective winnings or losses
In a tournament game play continues until oner player is left with all the chips, although other players will receive a portion of the prize money depending  the structure.