Texas Hold’em has become one of the most popular activities on the planet. Out of all the variants of poker available, this is the one, in the words of one famous commentator, takes ‘just a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.’

Texas Hold’em Basics

In Texas Hold’em poker, each player receives two cards that cannot be seen by the other players. There are also five ‘community cards’ for all to see and use. Each player then makes their best five card hand (see hand rankings\) using the seven cards available to them. It is possible that the five community cards make the best hand, in which case you and your opponent have the same hand and it is a draw. The pot is evenly split between the players in that case.

The game is started by one player dealing cards. The dealer is chosen at random for the first hand. For the next hand the dealer is the person to the left of the dealer for the hand just played.

To begin the betting in Texas Hold’em, there are two 'forced bets’ that must be placed before any cards are dealt. These are known as the blinds. The person to the left of the dealer places the small blind and the next player places the big blind. In a 50p/£1 game the blinds will be 25p and 50p. In a £1/£2 game the blinds will be 50p and £1.

Once the blinds are placed, the dealer then deals each player their two cards. A standard pack of 52 cards is shuffled using a high technology random number generator, and dealing is automated. The first round of betting starts.

After the first round of betting, the dealer places three cards face up on the table. These three cards are called the flop. After the flop, the second round of betting starts.

The dealer then places another card face up on the table. This card is called the turn. The third round of betting then starts.

Finally, the dealer places a fifth face up card on the table, called the river. The fourth and final round of betting starts.

At each stage of betting, you can fold (give up and take no more part in the hand), call (match your opponents bet) or bet (raising the stakes). Each round of betting ends when each player has had the opportunity to 'raise’ and the chips are even on the table or there is only one player left with cards, as a result of the other player's folding.

Table Limits

So let's look at how much each player can bet in each betting round. The table you sit at has limits on how much you can bet in each betting round.

If you're playing in a '£1/£2 limit’ game, the size of the bets would be:

  • Blinds (before the deal): 50p and £1
  • Pre-flop (before the flop): £1
  • On the Flop (three community cards dealt): £1
  • On the Turn (four community cards dealt): £2
  • On the River (all five community card have been dealt): £2

In a No Limit game, bet sizes can be as small as the previous bet or as large as the amount of money you have in front of you at the table. All raises must be made in increments of the betting amounts. In Fixed Limit games, you can ‘raise’ up to four times per betting round. The table limits you can play on Aces Royal Poker start at just 50p/£1 for Fixed Limit. Blinds for No Limit start at 20p/40p with a minimum buy-in of £10.

Checking is allowed. A player who checks at the beginning of a betting round stays in the game for the moment without making a bet. Checking is like betting nothing; if a bet has been made then you cannot check. If both players check, it ends the betting round.

Mucking Cards

To muck cards means to return cards to the pack without showing them to your opponent once you know you have lost. You do not want your opponent to see your cards unless you must show them. All information is useful, especially about your style when playing. That is why any losing hands that are not called become mucked at the end of hands.

All-In

Ok, so you have your opponent on the ropes (hopefully), and you bet as much or more than your opponent has left in chips. If your opponent chooses to call your bet in this situation, your opponent is "all-in", meaning that the last chips are now in play. You cannot force your opponent out of a hand by having more chips than your opponent, so all-in is a mechanism that protects the weaker player.

Once a player is all-in, all the cards are laid on the table and compared. No more bets are made. If you win and your opponent goes broke, they are returned to the lobby where the have the option to play again.

Disconnection Protection

There are several situations that may cause a player to be physically disconnected from the service. Your friends may carry you away from the table, your dog might chew up your mobile, or your battery may run out. Most usually the GPRS connection over cellular will be delayed or temporarily disconnected.

In all cases, your opponents are sitting there and waiting for you to act.

Let's assume that you are disconnected. Your opponents see a lack of action from your side. If you reconnect within 50 seconds, then you continue with the same hand - no problem. You might reconnect by restarting the game from your mobile or taking a mobile from one of your mates.

If you do not reconnect within 50 seconds, then you are treated as though you were all-in (but only for the bets you have already made), and the hand is automatically completed. This protects the bets you have already made, and allows the hand to be completed for your opponents.

The next hand then begins with the blinds being placed.

If you are required to place a blind and you are still disconnected, the system waits for a further 50 seconds for you to reconnect - if you do, then your blind is automatically posted and the game goes on. If you fail to reconnect for 50 seconds while your opponents are waiting for your blind to appear, then the hand is cancelled and you are returned to the lobby. The blind your opponent placed and remained unmatched by you is returned to your opponent.

When you reconnect, the game will provide information as to what happened and what you can do next.

Any questions? Contact customer service team at +44 (0) 208 817 1045 and we'll be glad to help you.

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