Poker Texas Holdem

Game rules

The ultimate goal of the game is to win a maximum of money, which is commonly represented by tokens. IF you have no more money, then the game is over for you.

In each round, each player has the opportunity to win the bet, more commonly called the pot. To win a bet, you must either convaince all other players to abandon the round (fold), or make a better card combination after four bet subrounds.

Beginning of the round

At the beginning of the round, the dealer is dealing two cards to each player. Then the player after the dealer pays the small blind, next one the big blind which is exactly twice the small blinds. These are forced bet to oblige players to eenter in the game. Then, the player after the one who payed the big blind goes first in the first bet subround.
For next three bet subrounds, the player right after the dealer goes first.

Bet subround

When you are in turn, you have three options :

When all players except those who have folded have paid the same number of tokens in the pot, then the bet subround is finished.

You can also bluff. To bluff consists in make other players believe that you have good cards, but in fact you know that it is not really the case. For example, you could raise by an important sum.
The fact to raise by an huge sum can discourage other players, making them fold, so that you may win the pot if you are the last one who hasn't fold.
You can also do the opposite, that is do not importantly raise and keep simply following when having excellent cards, so that other players will follow until the end of the round, and therefore win even more tokens.

The psychology of bluff is a very important face of the game, what make it much more than a simple hasard game. One can win with very bad cards and lost with good one. It is sometimes said that a poker expert hasn't even to look at his cards to win.
A player who has bet all his tokens is said to be all in. This is a risqued operation, because if he losts, then he has no tokens anymore and is in consequence out of the game.

First bet subround: preflop

The first bet subround is called preflop. By looking at the two cards in your hand only, a bet subround as explained above begins. The bet per player is at that moment equal to the big blind and the first player to bet is the one just after that who payed the big blind.

When that bet subround ends, the second one, the flop, begins.

Second bet subround: flop

Before beginning the second bet subround, the dealer return three cards on the table. These cards are common to all players and can be used to create the first card combinations.
By looking at your two private cards in your hand and the three on the table, a second bet subround is started as explained above. The player right after the dealer goes first.
When the second bet subround is finished, the third take place.

Third bet subround

Before starting the third bet subround, a fourth card is returned on the table. You can now make cards combinations with 5 of the 6 cards you have at your disposal. Best combinations have always at most 5 cards, there is no combination with 6 cards. You should choose which cards you want to keep in your combination and which you want to discard.
At the end of the third bet subround, the fourth and last one begins.

Fourth and last bet subround

Before beginning the last bet subround, a fifth and last card is returned on the table. You can now make a combination with 5 of the 7 available cards. In fact, you can choose not to use your personal cards and only rely on public cards, but it is often completely useless.
At the end of this bet subround, if there are at least two players who haven't yet fold, then it is time to show your cards and tell the combination you made.

Show your cards

After four bet subrounds, Now it is time to show your cards and tell the combination you made. The player who has the best combination win the entire pot (except special cases).
IN the playroom, you don't have to explicitely tell which cards you chose to make your combination. The best possible one is automatically found for you.
The different combinations you can make and their value are described below.
IF two players or more have exactly the same combination, then the pot must be shared.

Card combinations

Here is the list of all poker combinations allowed, from the weakest to the strongest.
A stronger combination always win over a weakest one (For example, a three of 2 always win over a double pair of aces and kings).
When two players own the same combination, the strongest card included in the combination wins, eventually followed by the second and the third in case of equality.
In general, colors (heart, spade, diamond, club) are not very important. IF a player can't make any combination, then the highest of his two cards is taken into account.

Pair

The pair is the simplest but the weakest combination. It is two cards with the same value, plus any three other cards. Example: jack of heart and jack of club forms a pair of jacks.

Double pair

A double pair is two groups of two cards with the same value, plus any other card. For example, two aces and two 10.

Three of a kind

A three of a kind is a set of three identical cards, plus two any other cards. For example, three queens forms a three of queens.

Straight

A straight is a set of 5 cards having consecutive values. For example, a 8, a 9, a 10, a jack and a queen forms a straight starting at queen.

Color

A color consists in 5 cards having the same color. A color means here heart, spades, diamond or club, not red or black. This is the only combination where the color is important.

Full house

A full house is the combination of a three of a kind and a pair, that is three identical cards plus two other identical cards. For example, three 8 and two 6 forms a full house at 8 and 6.

Four of a kind or poker

A four of a kind, sometimes simply just called poker, is a set of 4 identical cards plus any other card. For example, four aces forms a four of aces or a poker of aces.

Flush straight

A flush straight is the combination of a straight and a color. In other words, it is five cards of the same color and with consecutive values.
The flush straight ace, king, queen, 10, 9 is called royal flush straight, because it is the ultimate unbeatable card combination of the game.

Special cases in combinations

Special cases in bet win

If two or more players own exactly the same combination, then the pot must be shared between concerned players.

There is also special cases in win distribution when a player has bet all in.
If he wins, then he can only win as many tokens from other players as he has invested.

Keystroke summary