Object:
The object of Texas Hold 'Em is to win everyone else's money.
The game ends when you run out of money, or when all the other
players run out of money.
Game play:
Here's what happens in every hand of Texas Hold 'Em:
First every player puts a little money in the pot, called the
"ante".
Then every player is dealt two cards apiece. These are the "hole"
cards, which remain face down. (You can see your own cards,
but not other players'.)
There is a round of betting.
The first two bets in this round are forced bets, called "blinds".
Then comes the "flop": three cards are dealt face-up. These
cards are "board" cards, held in common by all the players.
After the flop, there is a second round of betting. Then comes
the "turn": one more board card is dealt face-up.
After the turn, there is a third round of betting. Then there's
the "river": a fifth card is dealt face-up. This is the last
card of the hand.
After the river, there is a final round of betting.
When all the betting is over, it's time for the "showdown",
when the players all show their hole cards.
The money in the pot goes to the player with the highest hand.
Each player's hand is made from the best possible combination
of five cards chosen from his seven available cards (his two
hole cards and the five board cards).
Ranks & suits:
There are 52 cards in the deck. Every card has a "rank" and
a "suit".
The thirteen ranks are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen,
King, and Ace. Ace is the highest rank in poker.
The four suits are Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts. In poker,
no suit is worth more than any other suit. (For instance, the
10 of Hearts is worth exactly the same as the 10 of Spades).
But suits are important, because certain hands called "Flushes"
can only be made if you have five cards of the same suit.
Hands:
A "hand" in poker is a set of five cards. No more, no less.
This might confuse you at first, because in Texas Hold 'Em,
you get seven cards - two that you hold, and five more that
are common to all players. But your hand is still made up of
only five cards, not seven.
During the "showdown", when the players compare their hands,
the house will automatically determine the very best five-card
hand that can be made from among your seven available cards.
Kinds of hands:
Royal Flush: a Royal Flush is a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace
of the same suit. It beats all other hands.
Straight Flush: A Straight Flush is five sequential cards of
the same suit. (To make a Straight Flush, you may count an Ace
as "low", or the rank below 2.)
Four of a Kind: A Four of a Kind is a hand containing fourd
cards of the same rank, plus one extra card.
Full House: A Full House is three cards of the same rank, plus
two cards of the same rank.
Flush: A Flush is five cards of the same suit.
Straight: A Straight is five sequential cards. (To make a Straight,
you may count an Ace as "high", the rank above King, or "low",
the rank below 2.)
Three of a Kind: A Three of a Kind is three cards of the same
rank, plus two extra cards.
Two Pair: Two pair is two cards of the same rank, plus another
two cards of the same rank, plus one extra card.
One Pair: A Pair is two cards of the same rank, plus three extra
cards.
High Card: A High Card is a polite way of saying "nothing".
For example, a player whose hand doesn't meet the standards
of any of the kinds of hands listed above, and whose highest
card is a 9, is said to have a "9 High", which won't beat anything.
