Texas Hold'em is a favorite game of the professional poker players. It's an aggressive, bright, exciting and surprising game, in which money change hands as in no other type of poker. Some old professional players prefer 7-card Stud, but other like Hold'em. This game is played in the World Series of Poker, WSOP, to define who will take away $2,000,000 and champion's gold bangle of 14 carat.
In Texas Hold'em the players form 5-card hand from seven available cards. However, the player has, in fact, only two cards. The rest 5 cards are opened and put in the middle of the table and are used jointly by all the players at the table. It means that there are few cards in the game, that's why Hold'em is played usually by nine or more people.
The Seats
The dealer is marked off by a disk, called button. Hands are defined by revolution the button to the left. The players are identified by the number of his place. The dealer - place 1 (seat one), the player on the left hand - place 2 and so on, clockwise around the table to the player who sits on the right hand of the dealer.
Hold'em in casino has the fixed dealer and the button revolves around the table to mark off the location of the theoretical dealer. The player's location seriously influences his possibilities in the game, that's why the buttons location not just a symbolic.
Hold'em for beginners usually begins from the bets in $1-$2 or $2-$4, but serious game can bet on the level of $500-$1000 and even more. Besides a small ante in 7-card Stud, Hold'em uses two fixed bets or blinds to have some money on the table in the very beginning.
The Open
The first player on the left hand of the dealer - place 2 - is called a small blind and has to bet a half of low limit or $5 in $10-$20 game. Place 3 it's a big blind and has to bet a full low limit or $10 in $10-$20 game.
Cards are dealt clockwise one by one around the table beginning from the player, who sits on the left hand of a big blind. Every player gets his first card, then second one and so on.
As blinds were opened with fixed bets, the player on the place 4 makes the bet first. He calls by staking the same sum as a big blind made ($10, low limit) and can also raise the bet by staking high limit $20 in $10-$20 game. In this round checking isn't allowed. Blinds in Hold'em are free in choice; they can call, raise the bet or fold.
The Flop
When the first round is over, the dealer deals first 3 common cards in the middle of the table. It is called the flop. This round begins from blinds and first residuary player, who sits on the left hand of the dealer. Checking isn't allowed until the end of the round. Bets are made on the low limit ($10 in our example).
The fourth common card is dealt on the table. The bets are made from the blinds as before. Now and then the bets and raises are on the highest level, or $20 in our example. The turn becomes the first expansive round.
The fifth and the last card is dealt. It's a very expansive round, - street: bets and raises are on the highest level ($20).
The Showdown
As in the 7-card Stud, the best 5 cards win. The players form their final hands from any combination of cards from the table and their own cards, sometimes even ignoring their own cards and using only cards on the table.
In Texas Hold'Em every player has right to see cards of the other players after they are dropped. After when some player made a bet or raised it and the last bet is done, the player only asks the dealer to turn over the dropped cards and show them to players.
It's right for every variety of poker and more right for Texas Hold'em: the rules are only the beginning. Strategy and skills make up the game.
Texas Hold'em Strategy
Texas Hold'em - is a favorite game of the professional poker players. Hold'em is played almost in every big European and American casino and though the annual World Series of Poker, WSOP is held in different "categories", the title of the World Champion gets the winner in Hold'em. There are several years Hold'em appeared in Moscow and in other cities some casinos include it to the list of offered games. To get into the championship, where the first fee is $10,000 and where millions of people from America and all over the world dream to play, the players have to pass several tournaments with less prizes which are called satellites. Such satellites tournaments where several places to WSOP are drawn plus money for the trip, are held by many serious sites for playing on-line poker (online poker rooms). Regularly such tournaments are held for example, by Royal Vegas Poker (here play the best poker players and authors of books about poker) and Party Poker (in the rush-hours there play about 40000 players at the same time).
Hold'em is played usually by 6-10 player at the poker table. The round plastic disk, called button, which moves before every deal on one player clockwise, defines the dealer's location. The player on the left hand of the dealer bets blind before the deal, i.e. without seeing his cards, a half of a base bet (small blind), and the next - the full start bet (big blind). In the Moscow's casinos it is usually $5-$10, though other variants can occur. After that the croupier deals every player, beginning from the small blind, two cards closed and the first round of trade is begun. Let's point that unlike the stud-poker, the trade goes in the definite way clockwise beginning from the player who sits on the left hand of the dealer. The exception is the first round, before which two players on the left hand of the dealer have made their "blind" bets and the trade is begun by the third player from the dealer.
Every player has by turn, according to his two cards, to decide - whether to fold, i.e. drop his cards without pretending on winning, to call the previous bet, or to raise it. The player whose bet is equal to the previous (for example, in the first circle of trade without raising the bet, who sits on the big blind) can say "check", confirming his wish to play and unwillingness to raise. After when all the bets are made, i.e. raises are equalized, the rest said "check", the other players dropped cards, and it can last for several rounds, three cards opened are dealt on the middle of the table and the next circle of trade is begun. These three cards called the flop, are common and belong to all rest players. After this circle of trade which can last for several rounds, the next common opened card is dealt (the turn, or sometimes the fourth street), the next round of trade, and than the fifth common card - river, or the fifth street. After it the last circle of trade is done, showing closed cards and definition of the winner, which gets the whole bank (for the exception of the casino's percent, which is usually about 3%).
The bet limits depend on the sub-variety of the game (low-limit, pot-limit, no limit), but in the most Moscow's casinos where Hold'em is played, in money (not tournament) game the rule "the bet raise - not higher than the half of the bank" is spread. It's impossible to "crush by the large sum" in Hold'em - if you are short of chips with the winning card, to answer the last raise, with the words "all in" the croupier shares the bank into two parts. In one of them, on which you had enough of money you take part, the rest will be divided among the other players. If by this moment you stayed with your opponent alone - "excess" chips are returned to him at once.
In the player's combination any amount of common and closed cards can enter. Naturally, there can't be more than 5 cards in the combination (usual poker combinations play in the habitual order of seniority). It is an important moment - two, one or none of the player's closed cards can take part in the combination, and the common number of players can't exceed five. On the last WSOP on the Hold'em tournament in May 2001 (by the way, with the entrance fee $10 000 and total prize about $6 000 000) on the second day after the screening of more than a half of players, a striking case occurred. After the flop and the turn there were 9-10-J-K of different suits lying on the table. The trade was over, because both residuary players bet all their chips into the bank. One of the players opened his two Q, showing a created street. The second one dropped his closed cards and jumped from the table. When croupier opened the fifth card, one more Q, which gave the street on the table, i.e. draw game, to run down the second player and to inform him of it was impossible. Be careful - even the last card (if you bargain to it, and when it is needed we will discuss later) can change the situation cardinally.
That's all rules of this amazing game, one of the most exciting varieties of poker, which is considered to be the King of gambling. In the end of the first chapter let's notice that any poker (besides Caribbean, or Oasis), and also Hold'em, unlike other usual games - the game is between players but not with the casino. Further will be said about the basic principles, strategy and tactics of the game, but you don't have to forget about the role of psychology. You can't win without knowing the technique. You can't win a lot of money without understanding of the opponent's psychology. Poker is played for money.
"Any two cards can win the bank" - such phrase you can often hear from the Hold'em players. It can't be wrong, you can really win with anything. Having 2-7 of different suits, you can get on flop, for example, three deuces, and without paired turn and river to win with the strongest hand. However the probability of such event is rather small, and playing all 2-card combinations in a row the total loss will much exceed such casual winnings. Let's see, with which two cards it is worth to enter the game, and which are worth to drop at once.
As it was mentioned above, unlike 5- 7-card Stud-Poker, in Hold'em the order of trade is defined by the location of the button and isn't change during one deal. That's why the location in the trade is one of the deciding factors of the game, and some cards, which are worth to drop in the early position, are right for playing on the last hands. The later your lead, the more information you have, and poker is the game of information. Of course not full, but information. That's why, when setting out the basic strategy of the game, we will proceed from the player's position according to button at the table: when nine players are in the game, four boxes on the left from the button (including binds) are considered to be an early position, the fifth-seventh players - in the middle, the eighth and ninth - in the late position.
In spite of a big difference of card joints in poker there are only 169 variants of start 2-card hands. Of course, we count those cards which are differ only by suit, the same combination, i.e. K of clubs J of clubs equalize to K of hearts J of hearts. If three clubs will come on flop, first of them is more winning, but for those who don't have a gift of oracle these hands before flop are equivalent.
All these 169 variants we can divide into five categories: pairs, neighbor cards, "full of holes" cards, neighbour cards of the same suit and cards "full of holes" of the same suit. If you have a pair, your two cards can be of the same or different suits, be neighbor or to have "a hole" between them in one or several cards. It is obvious that with neighbor cards there are more chances to get the street, the bigger the "hole", the smaller is this probability. With the cards of the same suits for the flash the size of the "hole" isn't important, but senior cards are preferable for other reasons.
So, 2-card hands, with which it is worth to call in the early position:
Pairs: sevens and higher.
Of one suit: A with K, Q, J or 10
K with Q, J or 10
Q with J or 10
J with 10 or 9
10 with 9.
Of different suit: A with K, Q, J or 10
K with Q or J.
If you play on the fifth/sixth/seventh box (when playing nine players), you are in the middle position and in this case are played:
Pairs: fives and higher.
Of one suit: A with K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or 6
K with Q, J, 10 or 9
Q with J, 10, 9 or 8
J with 10, 9 or 8
10 with 9 or 8
9 with 8.
Of different suit: A with K, Q, J or 10
K with Q, J or 10
Q with J or 10
J with 10.
Playing on the last hands, you have an advantage and that's why the assortment of combinations can be widened:
Pairs: all.
Of one suit: With anything
K with anything
Q with J, 10, 9 or 8
J with 10, 9, 8 or 7
10 with 9, 8 or 7
9 with 8, 7 or 6
8 with 7 or 6
7 with 6 or 5
6 with 5
5 with 4.
Of different suit: A with K, Q, J or 10
K with Q, J, 10 or 9
Q with J, 10 or 9
J with 10, 9 or 8
10 with 9 or 8.
9 with 8 or 7
8 with 7.
All these recommendations from the first sight are rather clear, but they don't have to be done necessarily and not total-lot optimal, as, for example, basic strategy in blackjack. As "any two cards can win", so they can lose. In addition, to play such way is recommended only in those cases, when the bank wasn't increased, i.e. nobody on the previous hands didn't make the raise. With the increasing the bank the tactics becomes different, and psychology begins to play more important role.
If nobody on the early and middle positions has entered the game, the "attack on blinds is rather spread - raise on the last hand (not necessary with the strongest card) with the aim to win blind bets. The blind has to issue from the usual tactics of the game in early position - to answer with the appropriate card, to pass in other cases.
If raise is done on early/middle positions before you, it is expected to wait that the opponent can have a strong card. The majority of experts agree that in such position just call isn't optimal. The weak hand, of course, is worth to drop, and with middle cards the counter raising of bet is justified - re-raise. Opponents can drop their cards and the victory (with the blinds) will be yours. The call is recommended only with a very strong hand with the aim to proceed the trade and increase the amount of money in the bank.
When do you have to raise yourself? Hold'em - is an aggressive game and you can't win a lot just by equalizing other players' bets. Sometimes you have to be stirring. Much depends on psychology and the level of opponents, but usually the raise has sense with the pair A, K, Q, J or nines or tens, with A with K, Q or J of one suit, or K with Q, and also with A with K or Q of different suit or K with Q.
The attack on blinds which was mentioned above (raise on the last hand when nobody has entered the game) you can do with any pair, with A with any card, K with Q, J, 10 or 9. There is a hope that blinds will drop cards, and if somebody will proceed the game, there is a chance to be the strongest hand after the flop.
So, the first round of trade is done, our cards didn't do to pass, and the rest of opponents have equalized bets. It's time to open the flop.
So, the game after the flop is less formalizable as before it. Opening the flop - it's a "moment of truth" in Hold'em. Of course, the next two common cards can change the situation, but after the opening the flop the player see 5/7, i.e. 71 % of his probable cards. This right was given only during one tour of trade - to admire the rest 29 %, you will have to pay much more. That's why the first advice is: if the flop didn't coincide (didn't improved the hand) - pass. Naturally, it isn't about the situation when all the opponents said "check", and to lose the opportunity to get something free (the fourth card, the turn) is silly. That's why the "check" on the early positions, if somebody of the opponents makes a bet - pass immediately. The exception must be only in that case, if you have a big pair, and the flop probably won't come to anybody at the table. But you have to play carefully in order not to run with the big bet into those "any two cards", which can win. The world of poker is full of harrowing histories about pair A, which lost an enormous sum of money to an absolutely empty hand, nobody knows how it got the second small pair on the river. But to bring the bank to the large size with an unmatched flop even with the senior pair on closed cards, you must play very self-confidence. Self-confidence in poker - is a direct way to poverty.
The weak pair (sevens and lower) without the coincides on flop, especially if the large cards were opened, isn't worth to play, although in the situation when the bank is big, and it is necessary to bet few, you can try. Without making decisions you must issue from the ratio of the bet and the bank, and also from the conjectural strength of the opponent.
The flop can coincide in different ways. If on five cards arrived royal-flash, street-flash, square, full-house or flash with maximum probable senior card in hand, it isn't worth to worry about winning or loss, but about how to winkle more money to the bank from opponents. Those, who afraid with a square after the flop that the turn and the river can give the senior square to the opponent better chose another hobby. For example, fancy-work.
But, unfortunately, such coincides occur rarely. More often the flop doesn't give anything (I repeat once more - pass immediately) or gave a dim perspective of flash or street. In this case the advice is: if you don't have four cards from flash or double-sided street - pass. The probability to buy two necessary cards on the turn and the river is minimal. To play after the flop is worth with 4-card combinations - there are four leads ahead for getting one necessary card.
Of course, with the 4-card flash you must account the hand's strength - there is a probability of opponents' having the same suit. For example, A-Q of the same suit in your hands - is good variant for proceeding the game. With coming of the fifth card of the same suit the flash is unambiguously senior (though you must pay attention to the probability of the opponent's street-flash), A or Q gives a strong pair. There is a theoretical chance to win without coincides - just with senior cards when nobody has anything.
More promising situation is in the case, when several variants of further improvement are possible. Let's suppose, that you have 10 of clubs 9 of clubs, and the flop comes 9 of hearts 8 of spade 7 of clubs. There are senior pair on the table, potential 4-card street and three clubs which are not enough for flash, but in this case they become an addition argument. Here you must play and play aggressively - and now the position is not bad, and there are many chances to improve. One more analogous example: the hand - A of diamonds J of diamonds, and on flop A of clubs 9 of diamonds 4 of diamonds. Many chances for winning without further improvement with the pair of Aces, any diamond turn the hand into the senior flash, J gives two pairs, and A - the senior three (in the poker terminology - the set).
The necessity of accounting, what hand can theoretically the opponent have, was mentioned many times. For this after the flop and further you always have to watch what two cards give maximum combination. If these cards are in your hands - great, and what if not, whether opponents have them? It can be that the flop coincides only with that pair which isn't worth to play. Although "nobody" - is said too loud, there are different opponents. Understanding of the opponent's game, the ability to "read" cards by his actions, in Hold'em, as in any other type of poker is not less important than the basic strategy.
The common rules of the bet raise in such position are simply to equalize, and when to increase they are coincide with the rules mentioned in the previous chapters. I repeat one more time that the aim of the game - to win not maximum banks but maximum sums. Hold'em - it's an aggressive game, strong hands are not so often, and you have to winkle maximum from your opponents. That's why not to make raise with the strongest hand, when it is clear what the opponent will answer - it means not to win to the end, i.e. to lose. The same mistake is to raise the bet in such situation too high and scare away the opponent.
In the game after the flop there is one more rule: with the relatively strong hand you don't have to let your opponents the possibility to improve cheaply. Nobody knows what will be on turn and river and there can be cards necessary for opponent, due to which he'll win. If he can be scared now and you can make him drop - the bank is ours. If he'll answer the big bet the next cards he will get not cheap. And who said that these cards don't fit him?
* Quick feedback form is used to discuss the article above. Ask and answer questions, give your opinion, suggest additional information concerning this article, report spelling mistakes and meaning inaccuracies.
|
|
|
|
