Sure, you are familiar with the rules of Texas holdem. You've played no limit Texas holdem for a long time, both live and in person, and if had to take a quiz on no limit Texas holdem rules, you'd probably do okay. But the rules for Texas holdem are worth reviewing, because hidden in the rules of Texas hold em are the keys to good poker strategy, and good poker strategy means winning poker.
The basic no limit Texas holdem rules, in review: The person to the dealer's left posts the small blind, the next person posts the big blind. Players are dealt two cards, one at a time, starting from the dealer's left. Once all cards are out the next person after the big blind has the option to act. He can call or raise, if betting a minimum of the big blind, no max in no limit Texas holdem. Or he can fold.
Each person after has the same options: call, raise or fold. When it gets around to the big blind if no one has raised he can check or raise. Once all betting is complete the dealer burns one card and turns three over for the Flop. The person to his left starts the action, and the betting round continues.
Next is a burn card then the single Turn card, and another round of betting. Then the final River card, another round of betting, and then all players left are in the showdown; the last person to bet shows his hand first and then the rest around the table to the left. Any person can muck their hand, which is folding it, if they don't wish to show. The person with the highest ranked hand wins the pot, a tie chops the pot.
There you have it – the rules for Texas holdem. As you can see, the rules of Texas hold em are simple and straight forward. It is within the rules of Texas holdem, however, that simple strategy for winning poker does lie.
Focusing on no limit Texas holdem rules, the rules for Texas holdem show a simple order that is important to remember, a simplicity that leaves all the myriad complexities of no limit Texas holdem behind. Most players understand the rules of Texas hold em well enough, but get so caught up in trying to add to the rules of Texas holdem that they get in their own way.
They seek advice on how to master no limit Texas holdem from books and other players, and certainly this is a good thing, because while the rules for Texas holdem are simple the game itself is not. But when those additional rules of Texas hold em, the ones that are more tactics than acutal rules of Texas holdem, start to crowd the mind, then the player gets overwhelmed and does not even realize they are making mistakes.
The key to simple play is sticking to the simple no limit Texas holdem rules. Play when it is your turn, get out of the way when you don't have a hand, call when you do, raise for value. That's it in a nutshell.
