Poker Texas Holdem

Origin

Description

Combinations

Betting

Small Blind, Big Blind

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Origin

Poker is undoubtedly the most played card game in the world.

There are serveral theories about its origin; it seems to be linked with different English and French games, and even previously with the persian game As Nas. The current game of poker appeared in United States during the 19th Century, especially during the American Civil War.

Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker variant worldwide since several years ago, especially playing through the Internet.

Description

Poker variants are always betting games.

It is played with an English pack of 52 cards (jokers are not used). Tables join between 6 and 10 players.

In Texas Hold'em players receive two cards. Another five community cards are put face up on the table; these cards are used by all players to get their best combination.

Combinations

This is the ranking of the possible poker hands:

- A♠
- K♠
- Q♠
- J♠
- 10♠
Royal flush: five cards in sequence from 10 to Ace, all of the same suit.
- 9♥
- 8♥
- 7♥
- 6♥
- 5♥
Straight flush: five cards in sequence, all of the same suit.
- K♠
- K♣
- K♦
- K♥
- 7♣
Four of a kind: all four cards of one rank.
- J♥
- J♠
- J♣
- 6♥
- 6♦
Full house: three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank.
- K♣
- J♣
- 8♣
- 5♣
- 4♣
Flush: all five cards are of the same suit, but not in sequence.
- J♠
- 10♣
- 9♣
- 8♥
- 7♦
Straight: five cards of sequential rank in at least two different suits.
- A♠
- A♣
- A♥
- 7♠
- 4♥
Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank.
- Q♦
- Q♠
- 9♦
- 9♥
- A♠
Two pair: two pairs of cards of the same rank.
- 7♠
- 7♣
- A♣
- J♥
- 3♦
One pair: one pair of cards of the same rank.
- K♥
- J♦
- 9♣
- 5♥
- 2♣
High card: when there are not five cards meeting any of the above requirements, the hand is evaluated according to the value of the cards by themselves.

If two of more players share the same kind of hand, the best of them is evaluated according to the rank of the cards (Ace is the highest card, 2 is the lowest). If they have still the same combination, the remaining cards are evaluated in search of the high card.

Betting

The five community cards are shown in three phases named flop (3 cards are shown), turn (the fourth card is shown) and river (the last card is shown).

Four betting rounds are done during each dealing: the preflop (before showing any community card), and another round every time any community card is shown (flop, turn and river).

Small Blind, Big Blind

At the start of each dealing, the two first players (placed to left of the dealer) must put their blind bets before receiving their two cards: the first player puts the small blind, and the second the big blind (twice the small blind value).

If the game is played in tournament mode (players start with a fixed amount and nobody can get into the game after the start), the values of the blind bets are increased periodically, and sometimes a new blind bet, called ante, is introduced. All players must put the ante before the start of the dealing.

After placing the blind bets and dealing the two cards to every player, the player following the big blind must start the first betting round.

The following betting rounds are started by the first player to the left of the dealer that remains playing the hand.

Possible actions

Players can make one of the follwing actions during their betting turns:

Fold: discard from their cards, giving up to win the hand.
Check: pass, only possible where there is nobody who has opened or increased the bet in the round.
Bet: making the first bet in a betting round.
Call: match the highest bet or raise.
Raise: increase the size of the bet required to stay in the pot, forcing remaining players to call the raise if they want to keep their options to win.
All in: bet the remaining of the own stake.

The minimum amount to open the betting is the value of the big blind. Subsequent raises must be at least of the same value of the previous raise.

Prizes

When the four betting rounds are over, the pot is awarded by the player with the best hand. If two or more player have the same hand, the pot is shared between them.

Side pots: whenever a player goes All In, without reaching the maximum amount of the bet, a side pot is generated, so that all the bets above the limit of the bet placed by the player go to a new pot. There may be several pots if several players go All in. At the end of the dealing each pot is evaluated separately between the players that opt to win it.

Players who fold lose all the options to get any of the pots, even pots that could have been generated before the player folds.

Playing in Ludoteka

Games are for 6 or 8 players. They initial stake value is 1000
Games are played in tournament mode, so that nobody may get in after the start of the game.
The initial value of the big blind is 10, and increases between 50% and 100% every 6 or 8 dealings (according to the number of players). The ante is applied whe the big blind reaches 100, and its value is 10% of the big blind.
Bets are no limit: the maximum value of the bet is only limited by the size of the own stake.
The order of the classification in the game is the reversed order of elimination. If two or more players are eliminated during the same hand, the player who had the highest stake is the first between them. The game continues until one only player eliminates all the remaining opponents after winning a hand.

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