How to Play

The two players to the left of the dealer put out blind bets. The player directly to the dealer's left puts out the small blind while the player two to the dealer's left puts out the big blind.

Don't know what blinds are? Read more about Betting Basics
Every player is dealt two cards, face down. These are called hole or pocket cards.
The action, or the first move, falls on the player to the left of the big blind. She can either call the bet, raise it, or fold. Betting continues around the table, clockwise.
After the betting is completed, three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table, which is referred to as the board. The first three cards in Texas Hold'em are called the flop. These cards are ”community cards” meaning everyone can (and will) use them in combination with their own hole cards to make the best hand.
From the flop on, betting begins with the player to the dealer’s left, who can check or bet.
A fourth card is dealt face up onto the board. This is called fourth street or the turn card.
Another round of betting.
The final card is dealt face up. This card is also called fifth street or the river.
A final round of betting occurs. The remaining players show their cards and the person who can make the best five card hand by combining their pocket cards with the cards on the board wins.

Note: In some rare cases in Texas Hold'em, the five cards making up the board will actually be the best hand, in which case everyone left in the hand divides up the pot.
And now you know how to play Texas Hold'em.


		Hand Rankings

1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More

Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.

2. Don't Play Drunk

Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'

3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake

A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."

4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It

Another common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.

5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"

This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up over an evening.

6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood

When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.

7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table

When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.

8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players

As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.


	Why Playing any two suited cards is a BAD idea

Starting Suited
Getting two suited cards as a starting hand is fairly common. The probability of being dealt two suited cards is 23.58% which means those who like to play any suited cards or any suited ace will have plenty of chances to enter the pot. Completing your flush is a lot more difficult.

The Flop
The probability of flopping three of you suit giving you a complete flush is .842%. The odds against you is 118:1.

The probability of flopping two of your suit for a four flush is 10.944 %. The odds are 8:1 against you.

The probability of only flopping one of your suit is 41.6%. The odds are 1.4:1.

The Turn
If you have a four flush after the flop the probability of making a flush on the turn or river is 34.97%. The Odds against you are 1.86:1.

The River
If you have a four flush after the turn the probability of making a flush on the river 19.6%. The odds against you are 4.1:1

Turn and River Runner- Runner
If you flop only one of your suit, the probability of hitting your suit on the turn and the river is 4.2%. The odds against you are 24:1.

Finally for all the possibilities if you start suited and stay to see all seven cards (your two and the five board cards) the probability that you will make a flush is 5.77%. The odds against you are 16.3:1. Simply put for every time you play two suited cards you will only make your flush about once in 16 tries. If you play low suited cards you still have to worry about a bigger flush beating you.

The reason you play your suited cards in late position when there is a lot of players in the pot is that you will then be getting the correct pot odds to justify attempting a flush draw. The money you win when you make your flush will offset the money you lose when you don’t make it. In a live game you can reach in you pocket if you go broke and buy more chips. In the long run you will make money with flush draws as long as you get proper odds to try.

In a tournament you have to be cautious because the chips you lose on a busted draw play can’t be replaced. When you go broke you go home. Even when you are getting correct odds you can do serious damage to your tournament chip stack if you don’t make it. Playing every time you have suited cards without regards pot odds is suicide.

Now you see why playing Any Suited from Any Position can make you lose your chips quickly.


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