Hold ’em Poker variants are those poker variants in which each player receives hole cards. These cards can only be used to form the hand of the player who received them. The remaining cards are then placed face up on the table in this order in Hold’em Poker:
- Flop: Three cards are dealt face up in one go and a round of betting follows
- Turn: One card is turned face up and a round of betting follows
- River: The last card is revealed and the final round of betting follows
Flop, Turn and River form the “board” and are community cards that each player can use for his hand.
The Hold’em variants are usually played without ante. The dealer’s seat is drawn and the player(s) after the dealer must bring in the blinds – these are the “forced bets” – without seeing their cards to open the game. Almost always there is a small “small blind” and a big “big blind”. Usually the big blind is twice the size of the small blind. The dealer’s place is marked by the dealer button. The dealer button can have different shapes in different casinos or online casinos, at Casino Davos, for example, a puck from Hockey Club Davos was used in tournaments. There is a variant where players in a casino play against the croupier called Let It Ride or Easy Poker. Let It Ride will not be discussed in this blog, but instead we will focus on the widespread and very popular games Texas Hold`em and Omaha Hold èm
Texas hold’em
Game description
Preflop
The player in the seat after the dealer button posts the small blind, and the next player in a clockwise direction posts the big blind. Now the dealer will start dealing the cards at the small blind. Each player is dealt one card face down in a clockwise direction and then a second card face down. These two cards face down are called “Pocket Cards” or “Hole Cards”. When all cards are dealt, the first round of betting follows. The player after the big blind has the following options:
To call: Place a bet equal to the amount of the big blind.
To raise: Place a higher bet within the limit structure.
To fold: Deal the hole cards face down and end the game.
The next player in a clockwise direction has the same options until the blinds are posted. The number of raises and reraises is usually limited, usually to four actions. This limitation is called a “cap”.
If the big blind was just called, i.e. no raise, the player can call the small blind by paying the difference between the small and big blinds, but he also has the option to raise or fold. In the event of a fold, the small blind goes into the pot.
The player who posted the Big Blind has the option to check or raise. If the big blind checks, the bets of the players in the pot are moved and the flop follows. In the event of a raise, the options to act (call, fold, re-raise) are again passed on to the next player in a clockwise direction. When all players have either bet or folded, the flop follows.
Flop
The next card in the deck is “burned”, i.e. placed face down in the middle of the table. Next to this “burn card”, the flop is now revealed.
Now the second round of betting starts with the first player after the button who still has cards.
He can check (make no bet) or play a “bet” (bet according to the limit structure). Once a bet is made, the same actions are available to the players as in the pre-flop. (call, raise,fold). When all players have either placed the bet or folded, the turn follows.
Turn
The next card in the deck is burned and placed on the Burn Card, and the next card face up is placed next to the flop, the Turn Card.
The third round of betting is performed in the same way as the second.
River
Same procedure as for the Turn. Burn Card and the last card face up is the River Card.
Now the final round of betting begins, and once all players have either checked or there is no raise, the showdown follows if two or more players still have cards. The player with the last raise or last bet starts the showdown. The dealer then uses the player’s hole cards and the board to make the best possible poker hand (always five cards). The best hand is awarded the pot, and if there is a tie, the pot is split.
It is possible for all players who are in the showdown to play the board, i.e. use the five cards face up. This also results in a pot split.
Omaha Hold’em
Game description
Preflop
Same as Texas Hold ’em, but players are dealt four cards face down. Of these four cards, the player must use exactly two to form his poker hand.
Then the board is dealt and the betting rounds follow, also as in Texas Hold’em Poker.
Show Down
The key difference to Texas Hold ’em poker is the composition of the hand:
Two of the four hole cards and three cards on the board must be used. So if there are four cards of the suit heart on the board, but a player only has one heart in his hand, it is not a flush. Therefore splitpots are less common.
Conclusion Hold’em Poker
Texas Hold’em is probably the most commonly played poker variation at the moment. In the next few blogs we will therefore take a closer look at strategies, the different limit structures and the fundamental differences between cash game and tournament play. The complex mathematics of Omaha Hold ’em will also be covered.
Until then, have fun and success at casino777.ch and stay curious!
