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Texas Holdem
Texas Holdem overtook Five-Card
Draw as the serious poker player's game of
choice in the middle of the 20th century.
The takeover was so complete that the player
who wins the $10,000 buy-in no-limit Holdem
eevent at the World Series of Poker in Las
Vegas automatically attains "World Poker
Champion" status, no questions asked.
Holdem has such a strangehold on the brick-and-mortar
world, you can barely tell other variations
of poker even exist. And the online world
is no different. Holdem easily outstrips
all other games that you can play online.
The game dynamic in any environment
is simple. All players are dealt two "hole"
cards and take a round of betting. 3 community
cards are then dealt face up (the flop), followed
by another round of bettting. A 4th community
card is dealt (the turn), followed by another
round of betting for the remaining players.
A final community card is dealt (the river,
or fifth street), and then the final round
of betting ensues. The player with the best
five-card hand takes the "pot". Its important
to know that you can use one, tow or none of
your "hole" cards to make your
hand.
Texas Holdem is extremely well suited for computer
play, adding to its popularity and domination
of the Internet. Dealing happens automatically
with no delay for shuffling, and because your
visual focus falls almost exclusively on the
community section at the center of the table,
even the little chicklet versions of playing
cards aren't too troubling.
In sheer number of players, Holdem games outnumber
all other forms of Internet poker combined
roughly 6 to 1. That doesn't mean you can't
play any other games, but it does mean that
you find the most competition, the largest
spread of limits, the widest tournament variety,
and the greatest selection in table size if
you play Holdem.
Holdem games also stage the most promotional
events. The vast majority of advertisements
you see, ranging from "Win a seat in the World
Series of Poker!" to "Play poker with supermodels",
involve Holdem games.
The overall skill level of an Internet Holdem
player is widely variable, but roughly speaking
the situation is exactly what you may expect:
The higher the table limit, the better the
competition.
Most Holdem tournaments (especially large-multi
table tourneys) are no-limit. Ring games tend
to be roughly split between fixed-limit and
no-limit. The biggest moneyed ring games are
usually fixed-limit (say $250/$500), although
you can find some monster games out there ($25/$50,
with players stack as large as $50,000).
Ranking of Poker Hands from
Royal Flush to High Card
Standard five-card Poker hands are ranked here
in order of strength, from the strongest Poker
hand to the weakest.
Royal Flush - the best possible hand
in Poker [Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10,
all of the same suit].
Straight Flush - Any five-card sequence
in the same suit [e.g.: 8, 9, 10, J and Q
of clubs].
Four of a Kind - All four cards of
the same value [e.g.: 8, 8, 8, 8; or Queen,
Queen, Queen, Queen].
Full House - Three of a kind combined
with a pair [e.g.: 10, 10, 10 with 6, 6;
or 2, 2, 2 with 5, 5].
Flush - Any five cards of the same
suit, but not in sequence [e.g.: 4, 5, 7,
10 and King of spades].
Straight - Five cards in sequence,
but not in the same suit [e.g.: 8, 9, 10,
J, and Q or different suits].
Three of a Kind - Three cards of
the same value [e.g.: 3, 3, 3; or Jack, Jack,
Jack].
Two Pair - Two separate pairs [e.g.:
2, 2, Queen, Queen].
Pair - Two cards of the same value
[e.g.: 7, 7].
High Card - If a Poker hand contains
none of the above combinations, it's valued
by the highest card in it.
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