Dealing Cards
Dealing the hand for Texas Hold’em is a key skill that lays the foundation for the game and then will take you through each hand to affect your player strategy.
The game of Texas Hold’em was conceived in the early 1900s in Robstown, Texas. Players like Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss have repeated over the years that the deal alters the flow of the play, giving away chances to riffle at every opportunity available.
The Dealer Button and Blinds
NEXT DEALER: The dealer button moves clockwise around the table at the conclusion of each hand. What this means is, the two players sitting to the immediate left of the dealer button must post the small blind and big blind. These are obligatory bets to heighten the initial stake in the pot before a hand is begun, needed of one or more players to assure that there is something to play for on each hand. Example of in a $2/$4 game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.
The Dealing Process
Dealing Hole Cards:
Two private cards (hole cards) per player dealt face down. The dealer begins to the left of the player and goes clockwise to let everyone have at least one turn throughout the game.
Example: You have the Ace of Spades King of Hearts (Big Slick) in a game of Texas Hold’em.
Pre-Flop Betting Round:
Each player is dealt their two hole cards and the first betting round takes place. The player to the left of the big blind is first to act and can either fold their hand, make a call (equal to the amount of the big blind) or raise. Betting goes clockwise around the table, players have an opportunity to respond to the actions of those before them.
The Flop:
The dealer then deals three community cards placed face up in the center of the table. These are known as the flop. Now each player has two hole cards and only three community cards to combine their hands from. The next round of betting commences with the player to the left of the dealer.
The Turn:
The fourth community card is dealt face up, the turn. The player now uses a total of six cards, their two hole cards and the four community cards. This is followed by another round of betting that begins with the player to the left of the dealer.
The River:
Fifth Street (River): The fifth community card dealt face up. Player utilizes any combination of his or her two hole cards with the five community cards to produce the best five-card hand possible. The remaining players bet again, starting after the dealer.
The Freedom Universe Strategic Consequences and Odds
Learning the odds of making different hands is very important at every point in dealing. Therefore, you have about a 23% chance with two suited cards of flopping a card of the same suit to give you three cards to a flush.
Pair Probability: The probability of you being dealt a pair in your starting hand is nearly 5.88%.
Probability of Completing a Flush: If you have 2 hearts and there are another two on the flop, then by the river a flush will finish in about 35% of cases.
Quote from Doyle Brunson: “The deal sets the beat for the game.”
Suppose you have a pair of 8s and the flop is 1-7-2. The odds of improving to quads on the river is just 0.24%, while you have about an 8.5% chance to complete a full house.
Betting Rounds
Betting rounds allow players to get an idea of their opponents’ hands, build the pot accordingly, and consider strategy for each round.
Pre-Flop Betting Round
This is followed by the first betting round after the hole cards are dealt.
First to Act: The player left of the big blind (this is considered “under the gun”). This player can also fold, call (bet the size of the big blind) or raise.
To Do Next: Each player, in turn, may fold, call or raise the highest bet made before them. The action then proceeds clockwise around the table.
Blinds: The small blind & big blind may call any raises pre-flop but must re-raise their option, or fold.
Example:
You’re in a $1/$2 game and get dealt A-K. A player in middle position raises to $6, the player to your right calls $6. You then enjoy re-raising to $18 (pot control).
The Flop Betting Round
The dealer then puts three community cards face up (the flop) on the table.
First to Act: The first active player left of the dealer button begins the action.
Betting Amount: Usually bets and raises are in multiples of the small bet (in a $1/$2 game, this would mean $2).
Players can: check (pass the action to the next player without betting), bet, call, raise, or fold.
Example:
Example 1: You have Ace-King and the flop comes King-10-5. You have now flopped top pair with a good kicker. To protect your hand and build the pot, you lead out with a $6 bet.
The Turn Betting Round
After the flop betting round, a fourth community card (the turn) is dealt face up on the table. This round helps you narrow down hands and raises the stakes.
Action Begins: The first active player to the left of the dealer button starts off the betting.
Bet Size: Bets and raises are often of the big bet (in a $1/$2, so it will be $4).
Fold: Players can fold this hand given all of the previous details.
Example:
Despite this, you have the A-K and a 3 tumbles on the turn. You have top pair with a good kicker, so you put in an $8 bet to keep the pressure up.
The River Betting Round
The fifth and final community card (the river) is then dealt, and the last card to rack up a bet/bets. In the final betting round, players are again free to act; but at the end of the hand, all cards will be turned face-up and displayed as a showdown.
Action: The first active player to the left of the dealer button begins this round of betting.
Limit: Only bets and raises must be in multiples of big bet.
Choices: Check, Bet, Call, Raise, and Fold.
Example:
The river card is a 2. One minute prior your hand is ace-king with top pair. You feel good about your hand and make a bet of $10. Then the other players all get a chance to call those specific bets, raise them or fold based on that final hand.
Showdown
As with the final betting round, all poker players still in the hand flip their hole cards over. This is entirely subjective to the best five-card hand. If all but one player folds, the remaining player is awarded the pot without controversy, and without showing her cards.
Strategic Probabilities
For example, if you hold a flush draw after the flop, you will need help from the rest of the board to try and work out how many chips you are willing to invest in the pot.
Pot Odds: The pot is $50 and your opponent bets $10, you have to call $10 to win the pot of $60 so you are getting 6:1 on a call that costs only 5:1 (do this calculation).
Implied Odds: Take into account future bets you can win if you hit your and draw.
Legendary Poker Player Phil Ivey claims: “The whole concept behind playing different strategies in Betting Rounds is to take you into the right direction of making some money from your opponents at the poker table.”
Example 1: You have a flush draw on the turn (4 hearts) and you have one of them in your hand. The pot is $40, and your opponent wagers $10. Your pot odds are 4:1.
Community Cards
As the picture shows, community cards are one of the central elements in Texas Hold’em and they have a major impact on the dynamics of every hand. The shared cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table and used by each player to complete their best five-card poker hand.
The Flop
The first three dealt community cards are called the flop. These cards are all uncovered simultaneously after the first betting round, with one round of playout initiated by the exposed cards before a different (3rd) card is drawn to the board.
Key Points:
Your Position: Strategy completely depends on the position at which you are with the dealer button. Being late in the betting round lets you see how other players react to that flop.
Your Flop: Your flop can make a huge difference in the strength of your hand. You could be holding Ace-King here and you flop King-10-5; top pair with the best possible kicker.
Example:
You hold Ace-King. The flop is King-10-5, which gives you top pair (Kings) with an Ace, which is the best possible kicker. And with that solid hand, you can bet confidently trying to build the pot and get rid of other players.
Strategic Considerations:
Continuation Bets: Generally made by the pre-flop raiser, regardless of whether the flop improved their hand. This is a bet to keep initiative and to apply pressure on your opponents.
Drawing Hands: When the flop gives you a draw (for example, four to a flush or straight), you will need to learn to continue based on pot odds and implied odds.
The Turn
The fourth community card is called the turn (or Fourth Street). That raises stakes and makes potential hand ranges narrower.
Key Points:
Increased Betting: The wager increases are usually double what they were on the flop, putting more at risk and requiring you to cost to see the next card.
Literal Improvement: The turn can also fill drawing hands or enhance a hand already being improved. If you had a flush draw on the flop and you see the turn is the same suit, you call it “hitting your flush.”
Example:
You hold AK, the flop comes K-10-5. The turn is a 3 and nothing changes. But your top pair/strong kicker combo is a very strong spot. You choose to make another bet to get paid by the worst hands and apply a price for non-value hands.
Strategic Considerations:
Pot Control: Keeping the size of the pot in moderation to ensure that you are not over-committed with a mediocre hand.
Putting Pressure: Pressure opponents with bets, this way you can make life difficult.
The River
The dreadful fifth community card is the river (Fifth Street).
Key Points:
River: The last chance to bet, call, raise or fold.
Bluff The River: With a lot of possible strong hands indicated by the community cards, the river is a great time for a bluff.
Example:
You hold Ace-King and the flop, turn, and river come King-10-5, 3, 2. With top pair, your kicker is the best.
Strategic Considerations:
Value Bet: Betting a high pair or better to gain the maximum value from your opponents.
Bluff: Bet or raise with your worse hand or shorter stack, in the hopes that the other players will fold to you, therefore allowing you to win the pot.
Professional Poker Player Daniel Negreanu says: “Knowing which community cards help your hand and what potential hands your opponents are drawing to is key in making sound decisions.”
You have Jd-Js and the flop is Td-9s-2c. This gives you an open-ended straight draw. The turn (8) is the sixth street, and it completes your open-ended straight. This is one of the few days at the 4; however, this specific 4 does not modify any hand.
Hand Rankings
Grasping this idea will help you learn how Texas Hold’em hand rankings operate and how hands are ranked in the format.
Royal Flush
Royal Flush: The absolute best hand possible, this is an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit.
Ex: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten in the same suit: 50:1
Strategic Note: This combination plays better than almost any other; it only comes up approximately 0.00015% of the time.
Straight Flush
Straight flush: Five consecutive cards in the same suit.
Example: 7 Diamonds, 8 Diamonds, 9 Diamonds, 10 Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds.
Key Takeaway: A straight flush is quite powerful, and no other hand can defeat it unless it’s a royal flush.
Four of a Kind (Quads)
Hand Example: Four of a Kind
Ex: 9S, 9H, 9C, 9D, 2H.
Food for Thought: Quads are good, like 1 in less than 0.024% good. This is also used to see if the opponent has a full house or another hand that can maximize your win when you have four of a kind.
Full House
Full House: A full house (Sixes full of Threes) – Any three cards of the same rank together with any two cards of the same rank.
Example: Ks, Kh, Kc, 5h, 5c.
Analysis of Play: Full houses are powerful hands, which have a probability of around 0.1441%.
Flush
Flush: Five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
Example: 2C, 5C, 7C, 10C, KC.
Strategy Tip: If you complete your flush, then you have a big hand, but remember that the board can pair, which may also mean that if an opponent has trips, they may connect with a full house, especially when there are two low cards on the board and where such a card will complete the full house.
Straight
Description: Five cards of different suits in sequence.
Sample: Hearts 4, Diamonds 5, Clubs 6, Spades 7, Hearts 8.
Key Takeaway: Straights are < 0.392% hands.
Mathematically, you need to make a set or trips when the situation is Three of a Kind.
Three of a Kind: A hand containing three cards of equal rank.
Example: 8 of diamonds, 8 of clovers, 8 of spades, 3 of hearts, King of diamonds.
Strategic Wisdom: Trips (three of a kind with one card) or a set (three of a kind with a pair in the hole) are strong hands. That’s roughly 2.1128% likelihood of happening.
Two Pair
Two Pair: Two cards of one value and two cards of a different value.
Example: Queen of Spades, Queen of Hearts, 4 of Diamonds, 4 of Clubs, 9 of Hearts.
Strategic Confluence: Two pairs arise approximately in 4.7539% of cases.
One Pair
One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
Example: Jack of Hearts, Jack of Clubs, 6 of Diamonds, 10 of Spades, 3 of Clubs.
Strategic Insight: The most basic winning hand and better than the above-mentioned hands is a token pair, which wins approximately 42.2569%.
High Card
High Card: A hand where none of the cards matches to form any from the above combinations.
Example: Ace of Spades, King of Hearts, Seven of Hearts, Five of Spades, Two of Diamonds.
Strategic Insight: High cards are the lowest-ranked hands, and they win approximately 50.1177% of the time.
Phil Hellmuth, a professional poker player, says: “Just knowing what the best hands are isn’t enough.”
You are holding 7-8 of hearts, and the board is 6h, 9h, Tc, 2d, 4s. Straight (6-7-8-9-10)
Winning the Pot
In Texas Hold’em, the main goal is to win all the money in the middle. That happens when you either force all of them to fold, or you have the best hand there is at showdown.
Forcing Opponents to Fold
Strategically forcing your opponents to fold to win the pot without revealing your cards.
Bluffing: Bluffing is the act of pretending to have a better hand than you do in an effort to make your opponent fold his superior hand.
For instance: You have 7-8 hole cards, and the board is (A-K-3-4)-10. Because of this, despite a weak hand, if you are betting big on the river, that big bet is going to force opponents with medium hands to fold as they will read that you have some strong holdings only.
Continuation Betting: Betting in position after pre-flop raising whether or not the flop hit your hand.
Example: You have Ace-King and raised pre-flop, and the flop is 6,9,2. Even when you miss the flop, a couple well-timed c-bets can get most of your opponents to fold, especially if they are somewhat strong players.
When the bettor has a drawing hand that can be improved into the best hand on later streets, it is called semi-bluffing. You take down the pot immediately if they fold.
Example: You have 5-6 of hearts, and the flop brings 4 of hearts, 7 of hearts, and King of clubs. A semi-bluff bet will take down the pot right away or give you some equity to hit your draw on turn or river.
Winning at Showdown
At the conclusion of each hand, the player with the highest-ranking five-card poker hand wins that round.
Value Betting: This is when you think that you have the best hand, and are betting for value – to get called by worse hands.
Example: You have 10s full of Kings, and the board comes King, 10, 10, 4, 7. River bet is a cry to your opponents with lower fulls or trips to call you.
Pot Odds and Implied Odds: Planning pot odds (the difference between the total size of the pot in relation to what it takes you to call) and the amount of money that might potentially win in future bets.
Example: The pot is $100 and your opponent bets $20. You are getting 6:1 pot odds (you must call $20 to win $120). Whenever your assumption is that you are better than 1 in 6 to the pot with one card to come from whatever cards an opponent might have, it is a profitable call.
Splitting the Pot
Sometimes this pot is split among the players if some players have identical hands.
Example: Both of you have Ace-King, and the community board comes down 2,7,9, King, Ace. Two Aces and Two Kings with the same kicker. The pot is split evenly.
Side Pots
If one or more players go all-in and the other player calls, a side pot will be created for the active players. This is because the all-in player can only win the main pot, so they will always win this side pot.
Example: If Player A puts $50 in the pot (call) and Player B puts an additional $50 in the pot (called), and then Player C raised to $100. Player B puts in the extra $50 to call. In this example, the main pot is $150 = $50 from each player, and the side pot is $100 = $50 from 2 other players (Player B and Player C).
Phil Ivey, the successful poker player, says: “No Limit Holdem is easy to learn but very difficult to master…winning a pot is not just about the cards one has, it’s about how you play that hand and how you read your opponents.”
You have Queen-Jack of hearts. The board is Ace of hearts, King of hearts, 4 of clubs, 10 spades, 2 diamonds.
