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These
are the basic rules for Texas Hold'em Limit poker. No limit
and other variations available at Kiwi Poker are dealt with
in separate sections.
Up to 10 players (plus a virtual dealer) are sitting at a
table. Depending on your table view and game option settings,
you will see avatars representing the players. In front of
one of the players is a button. This is called the dealer
button. The dealer button moves one position to the left before
each game round. This button originates from when players
in the group took turns to deal the cards. In our card room,
there is a virtual dealer who does the actual dealing. The
virtual dealer does not participate in the game in any way
other than dealing cards.
Blinds
Before any cards are dealt, the two players directly to
the left of the dealer button (not the virtual dealer)
must post "blinds", that is to place a bet before
getting cards. This is to ensure that every winning hand
wins some money. Since the dealer button moves on every
game round, everyone has to post blinds at some point
in the game.
The player to the immediate left of the dealer button
posts the "small blind," equal to half of the
minimum stake (e.g. $2.5 for a $5/$10 game). |
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The player
to the left of the small blind posts the "big blind,"
equal to the amount of the minimum stake (e.g. $5 for a $5/$10
game).
Pocket Cards
After the blinds, first cards are dealt. Every player gets two
cards face down. These are called pocket cards.
Betting - Round 1
Betting begins with the player immediately to the left of the
big blind and continuing in a clockwise direction around the
table. Every player can fold, call or raise. When you hear a
commentator saying, "the action is on Larry", this
means that Larry is the next player to choose whether to bet,
check or fold.
In the first round of betting, players can only raise by the
lower figure of the table stake ($2.50 in this case) and only
three raises are allowed in a betting round. The betting round
is complete when there is no outstanding action and all players
have either folded or put equal amounts into the pot and met
all the outstanding bets.
The
Flop
When the first betting round is complete, three cards
are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These cards
are called the flop. These are "community" cards
which players can use to form their hand. |
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Betting - Round 2
The players must now appraise their hand on the basis of what
cards have come out in the flop. The second round of betting
follows. This is carried out exactly as the first betting round
but since there are no blinds in this round, the "action"
begins with the first player to the left of the dealer button
who is still in the game. This player can either bet or check
(to check means that because there is no bet to be met, you
can choose simply to place no bet and pass the action to the
next player. If a bet is subsequently laid by any of the other
players, the action will eventually come round to you again
and you will either have to bet, raise or fold.)
The
Turn
Once the second round of betting is complete, a fourth
"community" card is dealt face up in the middle
of the table. This is called the "Turn". It
is followed by a third round of betting. |
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Betting - Round 3
This round, again, is carried out just like the first and the
second, but with one exception; raising is possible only by
the higher table stake ($5 in this case).
The
River
A fifth and final "community" card is dealt
once round 3 of the betting has ended. This card is called
the "River" and is followed by a fourth and
final round of betting. |
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Betting
- Round 4
The final round of betting commences and continues as with
the previous round.
After the final betting round, the best five-card hand is
determined. Both the pocket cards and the community cards
can be used to make up a hand. The player with the best five-card
poker hand wins the pot. If the players left in the hand have
the same hand then the pot is split.
All-in
When a player runs out of chips during the course of a hand,
he/she does not have to fold. Instead the player can choose
to be All-in. When you are all-in, you call all your chips
and the pot is divided into the main pot and side pot. All
subsequent chips are hereafter added to the side pot.
At
the showdown if the "All-in" player does not have
a winning hand, both the side pot and the main pot go to the
winning hand, as usual. If the "All-in" player has
a winning hand, the main pot goes to the "All-in"
player, and the side pot goes to the next best hand.
When
several players go All-in, multiple side pots are created.
The pots are divided according to hand and order in which
the players went All-in. If a player not all in at the showdown
has the winning hand he wins all side pots and the main pot.
If an all in player has the strongest hand he/she wins the
pot or pots that were collected until he/she went All-in.
Any all in player with a winning hand can only win the pot
or pots they are involved in.
A
Betting round continues until all players have folded or called
the third raise, or until a bet has been called by all players
(except the one who placed the bet) with no raise taking place.
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