Best Play Games

The foundation of Texas hold’ em begins with each player getting two cards, face down. The player that sits in the small blind receives the first card. The dealer gets the last card.

A standard poker deck is used. The cards that all players get are what are called hole cards. These are the only cards that the player will not use as community cards.

These cards are dealt at the end of play. This game starts with the pre flop, beginning with the player directly to the left of the dealer. Play then continues clockwise.

Play progresses until one of three things happen. The result could be that all players have folded, surrendered all their chips or a player goes all in. When there are two players remaining after the pre-flop round, the dealer deals three community cards face up.

Ideally you would like to see two players remain after the pre-flop bet. The dealer then deals three community cards up. Then there will be another round of betting.

After the flop ends, one community card is played. The pros call this the turn card. Some do call it the fourth street card as well.

In a professional tournament it is customary for the dealer to burn a card before the flop, the turn, and the river. Burning a card means to bury the bottom card. It could give a player the advantage.

This is done so that other players can’t see the bottom card. In the event that a player does bet and the other player has the best hand, he does not have to reveal his hand. If two or more players remain post last bet then the remaining players will face what is called a showdown.

If a player bets and everyone else folds, then the last player wins the pot and does not have to show his hole cards. If there are a minimum of two or more players remaining after the final bet then there will be a showdown. Now each player will be playing from seven cards, the two in the hole and the five community cards.

Each player plays the best five-card poker hand possible from the seven cards. If the player uses just the community cards and not his hole cards then it is said that he is playing the board. The best result that can come from this is a spilt pot with those that stayed in.

This type of play will continue. Players will eventually break their bank. Whoever is sitting with the biggest bank is usually the last man standing.