Do You Know How to Play Texas Holdem Poker?

Let me tell you that anyone can learn how to play Texas holdem poker, but not everyone will be a master of the game. Still, even the greatest poker pros start out as novices. And if you are just getting into Texas holdem poker, then you will have to do what every beginning player has to do, which is to learn the poker hands by heart. If you do not know whether a flush beats a full house or vice versa, or what to do if two players have the same pair, then read on and find out.

In Texas holdem poker, the players vie to win a pot by forming the best possible hand that they can from a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards. Pocket cards are the two cards that they receive from the dealer. These are private cards and are not to be shown to anyone else. Community cards are laid down by the dealer on the table, forming what is called the board. A poker hand consists of five cards, and in Texas holdem it can be formed from pocket cards and community cards. There are a number of different hand combinations, which are listed below from lowest ranked to highest.

High Card: This is a single card with a face value higher than that of your opponent. If both players have the same high card, the second highest card wins, and so on. The Ace can be a high card or a low card, but when used as a single card, A is always the highest face value, while 2 is the lowest.

Pair: Two cards of the same rank. For example, a pair of Queens.

Two Pair: Two cards of one rank next two cards of a different rank. For example: K, K, 8, 8. Two pair is generally combined with a "kicker" or tie-breaking card in your hand. If two players show two pair of the same value - both have two Ks and two 8s - the player with a higher kicker wins the pot.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Also called a set or trips.

Straight: Five cards of different suits in a sequential order. For example: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, which happens to be the lowest kind of straight, known as the bicycle or wheel. The highest possible straight is 10, J, Q, K, A. If two or more players have straights of the same value, then they tie and split the pot.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. For example, any five Diamonds. In all showdowns involving flushes, the player which flush hand holds the highest card wins.

Full House: A combination of three of a kind and one pair in a single hand. For example, three 6s and two As. If more than one player has a full house, the player with the highest three of a kind wins. If two players have the same three of a kind, then the one with the highest full house pair wins.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.

Straight Flush: A flush in which the cards form a sequential order. The highest possible straight flush (and the highest possible hand in Texas Hold'em poker) is called a royal flush: 10, J, Q, K, A (all of the same suit).

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Source by Joseph Ducat