The RSP No-Limit Texas Hold'em Primer

While mastering No-Limit Texas Hold’em may take years of practice, learning to play the game is fairly simple.  One of the great features of league play at RSP is that players of any and all skill levels are welcome.  There’s no substitution for jumping right into a game, and once you’ve played a few hands you’ll have the hang of things.  For our beginning players, the following is a basic introduction to Hold’em, the game you’ll be playing when you come out to our events:

Determining the Dealer

Play can begin with as few as 5 or as many as 9 players at a table.  The dealer is initially determined by each player drawing one card from the face-down deck.  Whoever has the highest card will be the dealer.  The dealer position rotates clockwise around the table, and moves one position after each hand.  As you’ll learn, it is beneficial to be in dealer position.

Posting the Blinds and Dealing the Cards

The game starts with two players making forced bets called “blinds”.  There are two blinds – the small blind and the big blind.  The small blind is equal to one small bet and is paid by the player directly to the left of the dealer.  The big blind is equal to one big bet and is paid by the player directly to the left of the small blind, which would be two seats to the left of the dealer.

After the blinds are posted each player at the table will receive two cards, face-down.  These are called “hole” cards.  The cards are dealt out one at a time and start with the small blind and progress clockwise around the table until each player has two cards.  After everyone has their two cards the first betting round begins.

First Betting Round

Now that everyone has hole cards the first betting round will begin.  The player to the left of the big blind is the first to act and can either call, fold, or raise.  A call would require that player putting an amount of money into the pot equal to the big blind.  A raise would require that player putting an amount of chips into the pot equal to at least 2 times the big blind.

After the first player acts, betting continues around the table clockwise.  Each subsequent player can either fold, call the big blind (if there has been no raise), raise the big blind, call the previous raise (if there has been one),  or re-raise a previous raise.  The first raise in this round must be for an amount at least equal to the big blind.  Any subsequent raise must then at least equal the previous raise.  The big blind is in a unique position, because if the pot is never raised he or she has the option to check, meaning he or she wouldn’t put any additional chips into the pot, and the betting round would end.

The first betting round ends once every player has folded or called the highest raise.  After that the flop is dealt.

The Flop

After the first betting round the dealer deals out the first round of community cards called the flop.  The dealer should first “burn” the top card, meaning that he or she would place that top card to the side face down.  This is a cautionary maneuver designed to prevent cheating.

Next, 3 cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table.  These three cards are community cards, and can be used by any player in combination with his or her hole cards to make the best possible 5-card poker hand.

After the flop is dealt out there is another betting round.  This round begins with the small blind, and progresses around the table clockwise.  Each player has the option to bet (if no one has yet bet), check (if no one has yet bet), raise (if there has been a previous bet), or fold (if there has been a previous bet).

The betting round ends when every player has folded or called the largest bet or raise.

The Turn

After the flop betting is completed, the dealer will burn another card, then place the next card face up in the middle of the table.  This will make a total of 4 community cards that can be used by each player to make the best possible poker hand.  Another betting round follows which mirrors exactly the flop betting round:  starting with the small blind (or the first person to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand), and moving clockwise around the table.

The River

After the betting on the turn is over the dealer will burn one final card, then place a card face-up in the middle of the table.  Now there are a total of 5 community cards that each player can use.  Once again there is a betting round, starting with the player directly to the left of the dealer.  If more than one player stays in for this betting round, there is a showdown to determine who wins the pot.

The Showdown

If more than one player goes to the end of the hand, each player flips over his or her cards to determine who wins the pot.  Normal poker hand rankings are used to determine the winner.  Here’s a chart showing the poker hand rankings:

In the event of a tie (similar hands), the winner is determined by how high his or her hand is. For example, if two players have straights, the higher straight will win the hand.