Texas Hold'em Online Poker

Texas Hold'em Poker is unquestionably the most popular version of poker in the world today. This poker variant is extremely easy to learn and play, and may be the only game that enables beginners an equal chance against more experienced opponents. Texas Holdem Poker is equally enjoyable when played as a cash game or in a poker tournament. Texas Hold'em Online Poker offers exciting game-play and the potential for big wins. Regardless of whether you enjoy Texas Hold ‘em cash games or tournaments, whether you're just learning to play or playing for high stakes, Live Gambler Internet gambling has the right poker game for you!

Without a doubt, Texas Hold’em is currently the most popular among many variations of poker especially in the United States, Asia and the Philippines Islands. Countless poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker, use this poker game to decide the ultimate champion. Many observers and card playing enthusiasts call Texas Hold’em Poker as no less than the ‘Cadillac of poker.’ Many professional poker players prefer to use this poker game as their main mode of income generation.

Texas Hold'em Poker is apparently a derivation of the popular 7-Card Stud Poker Game, which originated in Texas. Texas Hold’em was played first at the legendary Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. The Golden Nugget Casino served as its exclusive home for many years. In 1971, the Texas Holdem Poker was adapted to decide the overall champion of the World Series of Poker. Since then, the popularity of Texas Holdem Poker Playing boomed. It has been a phenomenon. It is slowly gaining much more popularity, especially now in the Philippines.

Texas Hold’em Online Poker is beginning to take the front seat to games like 5-Card Draw Poker, Omaha Poker, and 7-Stud Poker. Texas Hold'em Poker is securing itself firmly within the comfortable haven of popular culture. Adding to the further popularity of the game is the advent of online poker. This allows any poker player to further amass experiences in shorter period of time. The World Poker Tour and the motion picture ‘Rounders’ (1998) have helped fuel the fire for Texas Hold’em Online Poker. As a surge ensues, Texas Hold’em is fast becoming the poker game to play for amateurs and professionals alike.

The current period is often described by online poker players as a ‘poker boom.’ Proof to this is the fact that the World Series of Poker is presently enjoying an incredible rise in volume of new poker players. In 2006, up to 9,000 poker players have competed in the poker tournament’s $10,000 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker World Championship. This is a clear indication that card players are embracing this challenging and exciting poker variation.

From the US, Texas Hold’em Poker is starting to gain notoriety, and even in other countries like the Philippines. Texas Hold'em Poker was introduced in Ireland with the help of Irish master poker player Liam Flood (The Gentleman) and bookmaker Terry Rogers. Even the giant gambling cassino Harrah’s, which own the World Series of Poker, has announced plans to host World Series of Poker events in Europe.

A full table of Texas Hold’em has nine to ten players; having less could make the game short-handed. Card players are most challenged and excited by the game’s need for tight-aggressive approaches to playing. Because Texas Hold’em has a unique level of complexity, this particular poker game has received attention even from academics. There has been an attempt to develop a quantitative model of the game’s tournament in the form of an isolated complex system. Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Alberta are currently developing poker playing programs to utilize and further develop techniques in artificial intelligence and game theory.

Sequence of Events

1. Blinds: Two (2) players left of the dealer button both post blinds equal to exactly half the limit they are playing. Example $4-$8 Hold'em, blinds are $2-$4. (This is equal to the "ante" in 7 Card Stud)
    
2. Dealer Button: This button is used to determine where the action starts, once the game begins this buttons moves one person to the left (clockwise) for every new deal.
    
3. Dealer deals each player 2 cards face down (Pocket or Hole Cards)
    
4. Pre-Flop: 1st betting round
    
5. Flop: Dealer turns over 3 community cards
    
6. Betting after the Flop: 2nd betting round
    
7. Turn: Dealer turns over 1 community card
    
8. After the Turn: 3rd betting round
    
9. River:  Dealer turns over 1 final community card
    
10. At this point there will be 5 community cards of which you will make your best 5-card poker hand. You can use all 5 community cards and none from your hole cards to make your best hand, 4 community cards and 1 from your hole cards to make your best hand or 3 community cards and both of your hole cards to make your best hand.
     
11. After the River: Final Betting Round
     
12. Showdown: The Showdown is where players reveal their hands to produce the winner. The winner is the highest-ranking poker hand available from all hands remaining after the river card.

Betting - Texas Hold'em Online Poker

Each bet and raise during the first 2 rounds is at the lower limit of the stakes structure, e.g. $4 in a $4/$8 game.

Each bet and raise during the last 2 rounds is at the higher limit of the stakes structure, e.g. $8 in a $4/$8 game.

A player can bet up to 4 times per round. This is known as a bet and Three (3) Raises. This would consist of (1) a bet, (2) a raise, (3) a re-raise, and (4) a cap. It's called a cap since betting is then capped and cannot be raised anymore. Once the pot is capped, players can only call the Cap or fold. Check-raising is allowed in all games.

Button and Blinds - Poker

A ‘dealer button' is used to indicate the theoretical dealer of each hand.

After each hand, the button moves clockwise to the next active player. The player to the left of the button is first to receive a card and must post a small blind. The small blind is half the lower limit bet, rounded down to the nearest dollar. The player to the left of the small blind must post the big blind, equal to the lower limit bet. Example: in a $4-$8 game the blinds would be Small Blind $2 and Big Blind $4. This replaces the antes in 7-card stud.

Both blinds are immediately in the hand and have options when in clockwise progression the action returns to them. For the Small Blind those options are to call the remainder of any bets made, or to raise if there are still raises remaining (not yet capped).

For the Big Blind those options are to check if no one has raised, to call if someone has raised or to raise if there are still raises remaining (not yet capped). After the flop and each subsequent betting round, the first active player left of the button is first to act.

When a player first sits at an active table they may post the equivalent of the Big Blind to play immediately or may wait to become the actual Big Blind before playing. This rule ensures fairness to all players and stops potential abuses by preventing players from constantly entering games in late position and then leaving before they're required to post the Big Blind.

Texas Hold'em Poker Hand Rankings

Below are displayed the hand rankings in descending order.

If multiple hands match in rank, the winner is the one with higher cards, e.g., a Queen-high straight beats a 9-high straight.

If the hands are still tied, the kicker determines the winner on hands that are 3 of a kind or below. If the hands remain tied, the pot is split between the winners. Any odd chips go to the left of the button.

 

                    

1. Royal Flush                         2. Straight Flush                         3. 4-of-a-kind

                    

4. Full House                              5. Flush                              6. Straight

                    

7. 3-of-a-kind                         8. Two Pair                         9. One Pair

10. High Card

All decisions made by Live Gambler Internet Gambling regarding the ranking of hands are FINAL

All-Ins

Online poker games are played at "Table Stakes". This means that only the chip value you have in front of you at the start of a given hand can be used in that hand. You can increase your "table stakes" at any time in between hands, but NEVER DURING A HAND. Sometimes during the course of a hand the betting will exceed a players "stake" and the player may not have enough to call a particular bet. The player does not have to forfeit their hand at this point. Should the player wish to continue, they can call the amount that they have in front of them and they will be declared "All In". Any further action will create a side pot of which the "All In" player will have no claim to. The limit of the number of side pots is only limited to the number of participants in a particular hand. The player will only have claim to the portion of the pot that they have contributed to in equal amounts with the other players in the hand.

Disconnection Policy

If you are disconnected from the internet while a game is going on, you have the duration of the hand to reconnect and resume. The hand will progress even if you've been disconnected. It is up to the player to ensure his internet connection is reliable. LiveGambler cannot be help accountable for any funds lost due to disrupted gaming.

There is a time limit for any player to sit idol during a hand.  At the start of your turn, a timer starts to count down the seconds you have to take an action.  Should your timer expire and you are still connected to the internet, you will be folded and will have no claim to the hand or pot you were involved with immediately prior to letting your time run out. 

At anytime, if you need to briefly leave your computer, you may opt to check the “sit out” button.  This will allow you to keep your seat for a brief period of time and you will not be dealt any cards till you return.  When you are ready to resume playing, simply click the “I’m Back” button and you will be included in the next hand to be dealt. Unless you click the “I’m Back” button, you will remain at the table until your seat is vacated by the system do to your inactivity.