Texas Holdem

Introduction: Texas Holdem is currently the world’s most popular version of Poker.  It first attracted international attention when it was chosen as the Poker game of choice for the World Series of Poker in 1970.  Pots can grow large because of the many betting rounds in the game.

History:  The name Texas Hold’em is apropos. The game is, indeed, rooted in the history of Texas, a southwestern state in the U.S, where it was first played in the early part of the 20th century.  In 1925 it was introduced to the oil moguls in Dallas, Texas, and began receiving the exposure it needed in order to gain national attention.

However, Texas Holdem didn’t gain international renown until 1970, when it was introduced to Las Vegas by Texans Crandall Addington and Doyle Brunson.  Shortly thereafter, Texas Holdem was selected as the premiere Poker variation for the World Series of Poker (WSOP).  The game has since become a staple of the WSOP, a factor that contributed, though not entirely, to its current status as the world’s favourite poker game.   

In 1997, the movie, Rounders, starring popular American actors, Matt Damon and Edward Norton, hit the silver screen and received rave reviews.  The movie highlighted Poker as a source of income and offered hopeful players a number of useful tips.  At the same time, the World Poker Tour became a televised event, featuring Texas Holdem play as its main attratction.  This brought the game into the homes of millions of people throughout the world.  People were able to learn how to play the game right in their own homes, greatly increasing interest in Texas Holdem. Texas Holdem tables increased in number at land casinos and online Poker games became sought after as well.

In 2003, online Poker player, Chris Moneymaker, claimed the World Series of Poker Championship title, raising the hopes and dreams of millions of online players who wondered if they, too, could one day become champions.

Variants:  There are a variety of pots and pot limits found online in Texas Holdem cash games and tournament play.  There are online tournaments catering to the high-calibre player as well as the novice, with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $50,000.  The basic betting variations are No Limit, Limit and Pot Limit. With the proliferation of Texas Holdem games on network and cable television throughout the world, people are enjoying the game of Texas Holdem in the comfort of their homes.

Rules:  The rules of Texas Holdem have created more excitement over the game of Poker than ever before.  The rules lead to exciting action, large pots and the employment of intuitive and statistical strategies like bluffing and odds calculation.

Texas Holdem is similar to Seven Card Stud poker in all respects except one.  In Texas Holdem, the player receives two cards face down to initiate the game, and these cards are not revealed until its end.

The object of the game is to make your best five card hand from the seven cards dealt to you.  There are no wild cards and the game is played with a standard 52 card deck.  One of the enticing aspects of the game is the fact that players are able to bluff their opponents in large pot games, despite the fact that they have inferior cards.

Betting:  Due to the four separate rounds of betting in Texas Holdem and the fact that all cards are exposed except the first two, most players are able to tell early in the contest if their hand is strong enough to remain in the game.  Many times, players drop out early—usually within the first two rounds.  There are four rounds of betting and the betting protocol depends on the type of rules that govern the game, be it limit, pot-limit or no-limit betting.

The game reaches a climax as the third and fourth rounds progress and conservative players generally have a chance of winning a large pot if they can remain in the game for the duration.