Video:How to Deal Cards for Texas Hold 'Em

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Transcript:How to Deal Cards for Texas Hold 'Em

Information About Texas Hold 'Em

No one is immune. Texas Hold 'Em fever has swept the nation and now you want in. Game night's at your place. The cards are on the table. But, do you know how to deal? So put your poker face away - there's no way to bluff it if you can't shuffle up and deal. While Texas Hold 'Em goes back as far as the early 1900s, it didn't experience a surge in popularity until a century later due largely to those Internet gaming sites and back-to-back episodes of every poker tournament imaginable. You know the ones with the smack-talking players, the color commentary from that Eight is Enough actor, and the triumphant entrance of stacks of money. So, if you want to reproduce the World Poker Tour in your living room, this is how you deal Texas Hold 'Em.

Instructions for Dealing Cards for Texas Hold 'Em

First, you need a dealer button that represents the dealer. The player to your left posts a small blind while the player to their left posts the big blind. Deal two facedown cards to each player, starting with the player with the small blind and ending with yourself, the dealer. Start the first betting round with the player to the left of the player who posted the big blind. Players can call, raise, or fold. The betting goes around the table. If no one has raised, you give the big blind player the option to raise or check. In case you might be wondering, a blind isn't something you wear, put on your window, or hide behind. It's simply a bet that is posted on the table. Small blinds are half the minimum bet while big blinds are equal to the minimum bet.

More Information on Dealing Cards for Texas Hold 'Em

Now that the first round of betting is done, deal three face-up cards in the center of the table. These are community cards and are known as the "flop." Another round of betting ensues, starting with the first active player on your left. A fourth and then a fifth community card are dealt , known as the "turn" and the “river” cards, respectively. Each turn is followed by a round of betting. There will be a total of four rounds of betting per game of Texas Hold ‘Em.The player with the best five-card hand, using a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards, wins the pot. In the case of a tie, the pot is split. If, by some chance, the cards on the table have the best hand, everyone splits the pot. It's always a good time when everyone wins. I'm Jonathon Stewart, with About.com.