By Simon Watts

• The Deal. The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. If you’re in a casino the dealer never plays. A round disc known as a “dealer chip” which is usually a chip (mainly white) which has DEALER printed on it is always in front of the player who is dealing. The DEALER chip moves clockwise from player to player with each hand therefore every player becomes the dealer at some stage. Unless the game ends before every player has a turn at dealing which is highly unlikely.

Most Texas Hold ‘Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer putting a predetermined amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there’s something to play for on every hand. The predetermined amount can be any reasonable amount to be able to make sure all players can at least play the first round. The pot is usually in the middle and is where all betting chips are placed during each game.

• The Blinds.

The predetermined amount the players put in at the start of each round is called “posting the blinds.” Most often, the “first blind” or “small blind” ,the player to the left of the dealer, puts up half the minimum bet, and the “second blind” or “big blind” puts up the full minimum bet. Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the “hole cards.” Do not show these cards to anyone and are for your eyes only.

• Betting Begins.

A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or fold when it’s their turn to bet. To call is to just bet the same amount the previous player put in. Raising a bet is to equal the previous bet and then raise it to any amount. This is then the new benchmark for all other bets to take place upon. To fold is to place your cards face down and not take part in that hand.

• The Flop.

When all players have called, raised or folded and returned back to the dealer this is called the first betting round. The dealer then discards the top card of the deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating. The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the “flop.” After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer. During this and all future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when it’s their turn to bet. To check means to place no bet but stay in the round. You may only check if you are to the left of the dealer and you place no bet to start the round. This can then be the only way that the next person can check. If someone has placed a bet in the betting round you cannot check if they were to the left of you.

• Turn.

The dealer burns (discards and places face down) another card and plays one more face up onto the table. This, the fourth community card, is called the “turn.”The player to the left of the dealer begins the third round of betting.

• River.

The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on the table. This card is called the “river.”

• Final Betting.

Players can now use any combination of seven cards (the five community cards and the two hole cards) to form the best possible five-card Poker hand. The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer. After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made the last raise shows their hand first. This is the final betting round and should only complete around back to the dealer once. This is the last chance to raise and bet as much as you’re willing to win this hand and collect the pot in the middle.

• The Winner.

The player with the best poker hand wins and collects the entire pot.

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For heaps more information on strategies and in-depth guides to winning cards please go to

http://winningatcards.blogspot.com/

Simon The Card King

http://winningatcards.blogspot.com/

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By Colin Adams

Welcome back. Hopefully the tips in part one of this article have already got you rolling in the poker dough. Well, don’t stop there! I have more tasty tidbits to improve your game, bamboozle your opponents and most importantly, take their money! If you missed part one I should let you know that these tips came to me courtesy of my own poker coach who took my game from break even to money making. You can do the same…here’s the advice, take it, run with it and you will make more money playing online poker.

1. Think more about how much to bet and why you are betting in the first place. This is particularly true in no limit holdem. Why are you betting? Is it to find out another’s holdings? To sweeten the pot? To chase away those who are on a draw? Or to bluff the heck out of everyone else and steal the pot? You need to know exactly why you are putting chips in the pot and how much to put in to accomplish your goal.

2. This one harkens back to making notes on your opponents…you need to cater your bets to your opponents. If you have been watching (and you really don’t have to watch that hard) you will notice that some players are so tuned in to making the final three that they will only play their monster hands. When it is late in a sit n go game, this can work in your favor. The blinds are ripe for the picking, raise your opponents out of their blinds, re-raise a player who is trying to steal. If you notice that one of the players is always raising when entering the pot you must assume that they are not always holding monster hands. Re-raise them, you’ll be surprised what happens.

3. When you are entering a pot late in the round, and there are many limpers in front of you, you should limp in with just about anything. Why, you ask? The pot odds are in your favor. You are able to enter a largish pot cheaply with the possibility of hitting the flop. If the flop does not fall in your favor, just fold, and try again next time. If you average out the times you will make money from this move and the times you will not, you will end up ahead so it is worth it to throw a few chips at a large pot to see a flop.

4. When you have medium holdings, but you’re not in position, don’t over play your hands. This often happens where you go in pre flop, don’t hit your flop, and try to bluff the players still to play out of the pot. Chances are, you will not be successful in this venture. Here is a lesson that all poker players need to understand: “It is okay to put some chips in the pot and then let the pot go.” It is a hard lesson for a poker player to learn, but it is an essential one. If you do not learn this principle, you will never, ever win at poker.

Of course these lessons are only scratching the surface of what makes a great poker player, however if you follow the moneymaking tips above you will go from break even to money maker when playing online poker. Good luck and may all your flops fall the right way!

Find out what tools Colin Adams uses to be an online poker success and try them for free. Dominate the tables. Use the tools the pros are using. To learn more visit http://www.infoburbia.com

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