With the poker boom seemingly crossing all age and ethnic boundaries, I am surprised at the number of people who still do not know how to play Texas hold’em. Some are simply uninterested, but the ‘Cadillac of Poker’ intimidates many willing would-be participants, as this nickname implies that the game is for experts only. Having taught numerous novices myself, I guarantee that the simple rules of the hold’em can quickly be picked up by anyone with even the slightest experience at card games.
All poker variants have the same underlying rule: the best five-card hand wins. Texas hold’em is no different, except that there are seven cards total from which to choose your final hand. At the beginning of the hand, each player is dealt two cards, known as the ‘hole cards.’ Usually, the two players to the left of the dealer must make a forced bet known as a blind; the player next to the dealer posts a ‘small blind’ of approximately half a bet while the player to his left posts a full bet known as the ‘big blind.’ Other players who wish to enter the hand after the deal must match (or call) the big blind, but they may also increase the amount of the bet by at least double (raise).
Don’t start betting your mortgage because you have won 16 hands in a row (although you might want to go out and buy a lottery ticket), you cannot predict a lucky streak so don’t change your betting system because you are feeling lucky. The minute you overbet you can guarantee you’ll loose. Conversely, don’t get the hump because you have lost 16 in a row. You are not unlucky; you are just fortune challenged at present.