Continuing a 10-part series of articles providing 'hold'em tips' for new players is a discussion of strategic considerations when set mining. Live Events 1 MSPT Poker Bowl V.
Table Of Contents
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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.
Texas Holdem Rules For Beginners
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.
Poker Texas Holdem Sets
3. The Hands in Texas Hold'em
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
Online Texas Holdem Tournaments
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.
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Continuing our series of no-limit hold'em tips, we turn to the topic of 'set mining.'
Set mining refers to the practice of playing a non-premium pocket pair passively preflop in the hopes of flopping three of a kind (a 'set'). In other words, we're talking primarily about small pairs ( up to ) and medium pairs ( up to ) and not queens, kings, or aces. And by 'passively' we mean not taking the preflop initiative by raising, but rather such calling and trying to see a flop relatively cheaply.
The idea is similar to what we were discussing with regard to playing suited connectors, insofar as when trying to hit sets with these pocket pairs your goal is similarly to risk a little to win a lot. Flopping or turning a set with a pocket pair can be an especially powerful hand to have in no-limit hold'em, because the hand is relatively 'hidden' and opponents rarely suspect you have something that strong.
Let's say you're dealt in the big blind. A player raises from middle position, the button calls, and you call as well. The three of you then see a flop come . This is a fantastic scenario for you, as one of your opponents very likely has made at least a pair of aces or kings and has little chance of improving enough to beat your set of fours. You're in an excellent spot to win a big pot.
But before we get too excited about flopping sets and winning big, let's talk a little about how likely such a circumstance is going to occur. In fact, when considering the fundamentals of set mining, it's worth committing to memory a few facts about getting pocket pairs and making sets to help you figure out whether or not it's going to be worth your while to attempt the set mining strategy.
How Often Do You Get a Pocket Pair?
First of all, as anyone who has played even a little no-limit hold'em probably already knows, pocket pairs don't come around all that often.
Probabilities dictate you ought to be getting a pocket pair once every 17 hands — that includes all of the pocket pairs from deuces on up to aces. In other words, in a full ring (nine-handed) game, if you get a pocket pair once every two orbits that's just about what you should expect.
That means you're only likely to be considering the set mining strategy even less often than once every two orbits (since you won't be playing that way with queens, kings, or aces). Even so, the fact that you can win such big pots with these hands makes learning how to play them well worth the effort.
You Get a Pocket Pair... How Often Do You Make a Set?
Holding a pocket pair, then, how often can you expect to hit that set?
On the flop, there's about an 11.8% chance you'll flop at least a set (that includes full houses and quads, too). That means for set miners like you, the flop is going to be good for you only about once every eight times. If you can see the turn and/or river, your overall chances of eventually getting that set go up, but not by much.
The point here is to remember that making sets with pocket pairs doesn't happen all that often. Most of the time your small or medium pair is going to be unimproved. That's part of the reason why it can be so lucrative when you do make sets — it happens so infrequently, your opponents aren't likely to suspect it.
Before We Go Any Further... What Are the Stacks?
Let's imagine another hand where a player raises from middle position and now you're on the button with . Calling and set mining seems like a good idea, but there's one other question you need to answer before doing so.
What are the stacks?
Look at what the raiser has behind as well as what you have, and figure out what the 'effective stacks' are in this situation. 'Effective stacks' essentially refers to the smallest stack among the players involved in a hand, as that represents the most total chips in play (and at risk for that player).
Say in this case the blinds are 1,000/2,000 and the preflop raiser made it 5,000 to go. You have a comfortably big stack of almost 70,000, but after raising the preflop raiser is now down to 20,000. Is set mining with pocket fours a good strategy here?
Think about it. You'll only flop a set of fours once every eight times. But if you stack this player, you're only going to win a relatively small pot. You're calling a bet of 5,000 in the hopes of winning what's in the middle (8,000) plus another 20,000. That's less than six times the amount of your call.
Calling here in the hopes of flopping a set is clearly a bad play. It's about 7-to-1 against flopping a set, and even if things go perfectly for you — that is, you flop a set and stack the guy — you're risking 5,000 to win 28,000 total. That means your implied pot odds (including what you can potentially win besides what is already in the pot) are 5.6-to-1 — that's less than the odds against hitting your set. In this case, it would be better to raise with your pocket fours (or just fold them) than to call, as set mining is not a recommended strategy when the effective stacks are so shallow.
One rule of thumb to follow is to say the effective stacks must be at least 10 times the amount of the call to justify trying the set mining strategy. If you're going to call a raise of 5,000 here (and try set mining), you need to have the potential to win at least 50,000 chips. Some even recommend the stacks be even deeper, say 12 or 15 times the amount of the call (or even more).
Bottom line — don't try set mining if the stacks aren't deep enough to justify it. Before you make that call with your small pair, look at the stacks. If you're playing online poker, this is as easy as reading the numbers on the screen representing stack amounts. If playing live, take a second, eyeball the raiser's stack and make a count, and don't just call the raise if the effective stacks are too small for set mining.
Set Mining: Postflop Strategy
Flopping a set is ideal, as that gives you all three postflop streets to try to build a big pot with your opponent(s). Turning one is nice, too, although typically it is not worth spending too much on the flop to see another community card when you really only have two outs. If you missed the flop, it's only a little over 4% the turn is going to give you your set, and if you miss the turn it's the same 4% or so chance the river brings you your set.
All of which means when pursuing the set mining strategy you're mostly looking to flop sets, and if you miss you're often going to be done with the hand unless you feel your pocket pair remains better than what your opponent(s) have and what the flop has brought. Be smart here — pocket tens might well be good on a flop, but pocket fives probably aren't when the board reads . Don't be stubborn about folding obviously beaten small pairs.
If you do happen to hit your set, think about your opponent's likely hands and also be smart about how you go about building a pot. If you have pocket sevens and the flop comes , leading out with a bet probably isn't a good idea, since your preflop-raising opponent is likely to have missed that flop. Check and call and then perhaps start betting (or raising) on the turn. But if you have sevens and the board reads , you don't necessarily have to slow play, especially if you think your opponent has a pair of aces or kings and might give you action.
Usually when flopping a set you do want to start betting and/or raising by the turn, as you don't want to miss this golden opportunity to win a big pot. Occasionally you might be in the very lucky spot of having an opponent playing aggressively when you've flopped a set, in which case you might well call down to the river before putting in a big bet or raise on fifth street.
But don't get too fancy and miss betting opportunities earlier in the hand with your sets! When set mining, the payoffs can be big, but not unless you do the postflop work to ensure you earn those rewards.
Texas Holdem Poker Chips Set
Also in this series...
Ready to take a seat at the table? Put these hold'em tips into practice at partypoker.
Texas Holdem Poker Set Up
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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.
Texas Holdem Rules For Beginners
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.
Poker Texas Holdem Sets
3. The Hands in Texas Hold'em
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
Online Texas Holdem Tournaments
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.
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Continuing our series of no-limit hold'em tips, we turn to the topic of 'set mining.'
Set mining refers to the practice of playing a non-premium pocket pair passively preflop in the hopes of flopping three of a kind (a 'set'). In other words, we're talking primarily about small pairs ( up to ) and medium pairs ( up to ) and not queens, kings, or aces. And by 'passively' we mean not taking the preflop initiative by raising, but rather such calling and trying to see a flop relatively cheaply.
The idea is similar to what we were discussing with regard to playing suited connectors, insofar as when trying to hit sets with these pocket pairs your goal is similarly to risk a little to win a lot. Flopping or turning a set with a pocket pair can be an especially powerful hand to have in no-limit hold'em, because the hand is relatively 'hidden' and opponents rarely suspect you have something that strong.
Let's say you're dealt in the big blind. A player raises from middle position, the button calls, and you call as well. The three of you then see a flop come . This is a fantastic scenario for you, as one of your opponents very likely has made at least a pair of aces or kings and has little chance of improving enough to beat your set of fours. You're in an excellent spot to win a big pot.
But before we get too excited about flopping sets and winning big, let's talk a little about how likely such a circumstance is going to occur. In fact, when considering the fundamentals of set mining, it's worth committing to memory a few facts about getting pocket pairs and making sets to help you figure out whether or not it's going to be worth your while to attempt the set mining strategy.
How Often Do You Get a Pocket Pair?
First of all, as anyone who has played even a little no-limit hold'em probably already knows, pocket pairs don't come around all that often.
Probabilities dictate you ought to be getting a pocket pair once every 17 hands — that includes all of the pocket pairs from deuces on up to aces. In other words, in a full ring (nine-handed) game, if you get a pocket pair once every two orbits that's just about what you should expect.
That means you're only likely to be considering the set mining strategy even less often than once every two orbits (since you won't be playing that way with queens, kings, or aces). Even so, the fact that you can win such big pots with these hands makes learning how to play them well worth the effort.
You Get a Pocket Pair... How Often Do You Make a Set?
Holding a pocket pair, then, how often can you expect to hit that set?
On the flop, there's about an 11.8% chance you'll flop at least a set (that includes full houses and quads, too). That means for set miners like you, the flop is going to be good for you only about once every eight times. If you can see the turn and/or river, your overall chances of eventually getting that set go up, but not by much.
The point here is to remember that making sets with pocket pairs doesn't happen all that often. Most of the time your small or medium pair is going to be unimproved. That's part of the reason why it can be so lucrative when you do make sets — it happens so infrequently, your opponents aren't likely to suspect it.
Before We Go Any Further... What Are the Stacks?
Let's imagine another hand where a player raises from middle position and now you're on the button with . Calling and set mining seems like a good idea, but there's one other question you need to answer before doing so.
What are the stacks?
Look at what the raiser has behind as well as what you have, and figure out what the 'effective stacks' are in this situation. 'Effective stacks' essentially refers to the smallest stack among the players involved in a hand, as that represents the most total chips in play (and at risk for that player).
Say in this case the blinds are 1,000/2,000 and the preflop raiser made it 5,000 to go. You have a comfortably big stack of almost 70,000, but after raising the preflop raiser is now down to 20,000. Is set mining with pocket fours a good strategy here?
Think about it. You'll only flop a set of fours once every eight times. But if you stack this player, you're only going to win a relatively small pot. You're calling a bet of 5,000 in the hopes of winning what's in the middle (8,000) plus another 20,000. That's less than six times the amount of your call.
Calling here in the hopes of flopping a set is clearly a bad play. It's about 7-to-1 against flopping a set, and even if things go perfectly for you — that is, you flop a set and stack the guy — you're risking 5,000 to win 28,000 total. That means your implied pot odds (including what you can potentially win besides what is already in the pot) are 5.6-to-1 — that's less than the odds against hitting your set. In this case, it would be better to raise with your pocket fours (or just fold them) than to call, as set mining is not a recommended strategy when the effective stacks are so shallow.
One rule of thumb to follow is to say the effective stacks must be at least 10 times the amount of the call to justify trying the set mining strategy. If you're going to call a raise of 5,000 here (and try set mining), you need to have the potential to win at least 50,000 chips. Some even recommend the stacks be even deeper, say 12 or 15 times the amount of the call (or even more).
Bottom line — don't try set mining if the stacks aren't deep enough to justify it. Before you make that call with your small pair, look at the stacks. If you're playing online poker, this is as easy as reading the numbers on the screen representing stack amounts. If playing live, take a second, eyeball the raiser's stack and make a count, and don't just call the raise if the effective stacks are too small for set mining.
Set Mining: Postflop Strategy
Flopping a set is ideal, as that gives you all three postflop streets to try to build a big pot with your opponent(s). Turning one is nice, too, although typically it is not worth spending too much on the flop to see another community card when you really only have two outs. If you missed the flop, it's only a little over 4% the turn is going to give you your set, and if you miss the turn it's the same 4% or so chance the river brings you your set.
All of which means when pursuing the set mining strategy you're mostly looking to flop sets, and if you miss you're often going to be done with the hand unless you feel your pocket pair remains better than what your opponent(s) have and what the flop has brought. Be smart here — pocket tens might well be good on a flop, but pocket fives probably aren't when the board reads . Don't be stubborn about folding obviously beaten small pairs.
If you do happen to hit your set, think about your opponent's likely hands and also be smart about how you go about building a pot. If you have pocket sevens and the flop comes , leading out with a bet probably isn't a good idea, since your preflop-raising opponent is likely to have missed that flop. Check and call and then perhaps start betting (or raising) on the turn. But if you have sevens and the board reads , you don't necessarily have to slow play, especially if you think your opponent has a pair of aces or kings and might give you action.
Usually when flopping a set you do want to start betting and/or raising by the turn, as you don't want to miss this golden opportunity to win a big pot. Occasionally you might be in the very lucky spot of having an opponent playing aggressively when you've flopped a set, in which case you might well call down to the river before putting in a big bet or raise on fifth street.
But don't get too fancy and miss betting opportunities earlier in the hand with your sets! When set mining, the payoffs can be big, but not unless you do the postflop work to ensure you earn those rewards.
Texas Holdem Poker Chips Set
Also in this series...
Ready to take a seat at the table? Put these hold'em tips into practice at partypoker.
Texas Holdem Poker Set Up
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