Do you often feel nervous about sitting down at a poker game - even a weekly game amongst friends? Are you afraid that you might not know all the rules, or that you're going to move out of turn?

Well, the first thing to do is relax.

UltimateBet is a great way to get comfortable with the technical side of the game. It's nearly impossible to make a blatant mistake; you can't move out of turn, you're always given your exact options, and no one will notice the sweat on your forehead when you hit that ace-high nut flush.

And once you've gotten comfortable with the mechanics of the game, you'll have a lifetime to learn the fine points of poker strategy.

There are many variations of poker in the world today, and you'll find different games being played in every cardroom. TEXAS HOLD'EM is the most popular of these, and one of the most fun. It looks a bit intimidating, but it's really quite simple.

For a quick step-by-step overview of how Texas Hold'em works, just page through this quick demonstration. We'll show you an example of a single hand in a Texas Hold'em $10-$20 game (this is a game with set amounts to be wagered. The $10-$20 indicates that the betting rounds are divided into two rounds of $10 bets and two rounds of $20 bets).

Let's begin

In Texas Hold'em there is a marker called the "dealer button." This marker indicates the point at which the cards will start dealing (as if each person at the table was taking a turn at dealing the cards).

- Action always starts directly to the left of the dealer button.
- The dealer button moves clockwise to the next player at the end of every hand.

The first actions are called BLINDS. In Texas Hold'em there are usually 2 blinds: The BIG BLIND and the SMALL BLIND. Blinds are forced bets which are used to create more action for the game.

Small Blind
- 1/2 of the structured bet ($5 in our example).
- Always the next player to the left of the dealer button.

Big Blind
- 1 structured bet ($10 in our example).
- Always the next player to the left of the small blind.

In Texas Hold'em, there are a total of two cards dealt to every player (the pocket cards) and five cards that are available for anyone to use (called the community cards). The two pocket cards are dealt first, followed by three of the community cards, another community card, and then the final community card. Each player will make their best possible 5-card hand out of any combination of their pocket cards and the community cards.

The Pocket Cards
- Two cards are dealt clockwise to each player; face down. These cards are known as the POCKET CARDS. Don't reveal the value of these cards to anyone.
- The community cards do not come yet. A round of bets must occur after the pocket cards are dealt.

With the small blind's 1/2 bet ($5) and the big blind's full bet ($10) on the table, the action now starts with the player left of the big blind. This player is the first to decide what they would like to do.

The following options will be available:
1. FOLD - the player does not want to stay in the game. Cards are folded. In a full game, "tight" players may fold at this point 85% of the time.
2. CALL - the player matches the amount of the big blind ($10).
3. RAISE - the player matches the big blind ($10) and adds one more bet to make it $20.

The betting (or folding) continues around the table until every player still in the hand has the same amount in the "pot."

After the first round of betting is complete, 3 community cards are dealt to the middle of the table. These cards are also known as "The Flop," and may be used by all of the players in the game.

Once this happens, the second round of betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer (there are no blinds after the first round). Bets are still in increments of $10.

Players may either CHECK, call, BET or raise.
1. CHECK - no bet placed. This defers the first move to the next player.
2. BET - the first wager made. $10 would be the amount bet in this example.

After the second round of betting has ended, the fourth community card is dealt to the center of the table. This card is also known as "The Turn" or "Fourth Street."

- All betting done at this point is now at the higher limit. In this example, that amount would be $20 per bet.
- Betting order and options are the same as in the previous round of betting.

After the third round of betting is completed, the fifth and final card is dealt. This community card is called "The River" or "FIFTH STREET".

After this card is dealt, the last round of betting begins (once again at the higher limit of $20).

After the last round of wagering has occurred, remaining players in the game show, in order, their best five-card hand made from the seven cards.

Once the first player has shown their cards, the other players may then decide whether they want to show their hand. If they have the better hand, they must show it in order to win the pot (automatically done at UltimateBet). If their hand cannot win, they may "muck" their cards (throw it away face down) or show their cards anyway.

A winner is determined and the pot is collected.

See also: Hand Order Chart.

At this point, the table is cleared of chips and cards and a new hand begins.

The Dealer button moves clockwise, and the Big Blind and Small Blind are posted by the appropriate players.

Congratulations! You now know the basics of Texas Hold'em, one of the most intriguing games available.

We can't turn you into a pro overnight, but you can confidently pull up a chair at one of the UltimateBet tables and begin to play. We're sure you'll find that the more you play, the more you'll learn, and the more you'll come to appreciate the subtleties of Texas Hold'em poker.

Enjoy the games!

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