Do you know how to play Texas Hold 'Em? Right now, Texas Hold 'Em is the most popular poker variation in Las Vegas, at Internet casinos, in home games, and even in the World Series of Poker championship tournament. When you learn how to play Texas Hold 'Em, you'll be in good company. Some of the best poker players in the world excel at this exciting variation, and started their careers by learning how to play Texas Hold 'Em. You can find out more about how to play Texas Hold 'Em by playing at Internet casinos for points and credits instead of money; but first you have to learn the rules!

The first thing you should know about how to play Texas Hold 'Em is the hand rankings. Texas Hold 'Em is a variation of Seven-Card Stud, and the order of hands is the same as for standard poker. Because there are no wild cards, the highest possible hand is a Royal Flush, which is five cards of the same suit in sequential order from Ten to Ace. Below the Royal Flush is a Straight Flush, any five same-suit cards in sequential order; then Four of a Kind; Full House; Flush; Straight; Three of a Kind; Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. As you learn how to play Texas Hold 'Em, remember that in the unlikely event a High Card hand beats all the other hands at your table, most casinos don't pay out for a High Card win.

Learning how to play the game Texas Hold 'Em can be a lot of fun: there are lots of opportunities to place bets during a hand of Texas Hold 'Em. Each hand consists of five stages, or rounds, and betting takes place after each round is dealt. The first round is called the pre-flop; each player is dealt two face-down cards. No other player will see these cards during the course of the game, and so they are called the hole cards or, more commonly, the pocket pair. The remaining five of the seven cards in Texas Hold 'Em are community cards, dealt face-up in the center of the table for all players to view and use in constructing their hands. As you figure out how to play Texas Hold 'Em, you can learn betting strategies that will help you increase your shot at winning.

The community cards are dealt in stages. It's important to understand how to bet the rounds in how to play Texas Hold 'Em. After the pre-flop, three face-up cards called the flop are laid out. The remaining two shared cards are placed one at a time, providing two final rounds called the turn and the river. Following the bets placed after the river, all players reveal their pocket pair and call their best hand. One thing to remember about how to play Texas Hold 'Em is that when the five shared cards comprise the best possible understanding how to play Texas Hold 'Em is the ticket to poker excitement; whether you play the game at home, in Vegas, or at your favorite Internet casino.

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