TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

The game most often played on television poker shows is Texas Holdem.

Players say it is popular because it is fast-paced and perhaps the easiest game for a beginner to learn. Unlike other games, which have a great many possibilities for calculating odds, Texas Holdem can be learned in minutes. Playing well, however, is another matter.

A full deck of 52 cards is used, and the dealer gives each player two cards, face down. These are called pocket cards.

The dealer then discards the top card of the deck -- called the bum card -- and flips the next three cards face up on the table. These cards are called the "flop" and are communal cards that any player can use in combination with his pocket cards to form a hand. Two more cards eventually are added to the flop.