TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

     Texas Holdem is the rage! It combines the rules of poker with a fast-paced game ending with a winner-take-all mentality. Participants pay a $75 admission fee. Players are allotted chips. St. Anthony's takes $25 and puts it to good use for the children of its school. The remaining $50 goes towards cash prizes for approximately the final eight players. Depending upon the number of players, the winner may take home greater than $2,500 for his/her efforts.
 

     Participants must be at least 18 years old to play. That and your $75 admission fee is all you need for the chance to be the winner. Your odds of being one of the winners are greater than 1 in 75. Compare that to the lottery and you know why it is the rage. The game is simple; it follows the rules of poker and a few rules unique to Texas Holdem. Tables will be arranged for up for 10 players. Each table will receive two decks of cards. As the dealer deals a hand, the player immediately to his right will shuffle the other deck and have it ready for the next dealer. The dealer position moves clockwise around the table.
 

     Before dealing any cards, the first two players to the left of the dealer position are required to post blind bets, known as "blinds," in this game. The blinds serve as antes for those players. If the blinds are set at $25/$50, $25 being the small blind and $50 being the large blind, the first player to the left of the dealer position is in the small blind position and must post a $25 ante before the dealer deals any cards. The second player to the left of the dealer position is in the large blind position and must post a $50 ante before the dealer deals any cards.
 

     The game starts with the dealer dealing two cards face down to each player. The players are allowed to look at these cards, called private cards because they are not shared with the other players. After dealing the two private cards, a round of betting takes place. Players are allowed to call, raise the blind bet or fold their hand. There is no limit on the number of raises permitted.
 

     Immediately following this first round of betting, three communal cards, called the Flop, are turned face up in the center of the table. Players are allowed to use these community cards in any combination with their private cards to make the best poker hand. The Flop is followed by another round of betting. On this and each succeeding round, players may check if no one has bet when it is their turn to act. If there is no bet, a player may check or bet; if there is a bet, players may fold, call, raise or re-raise.
 

     A fourth communal card called the "Turn" is then exposed in the middle of the table. Another round of betting takes place followed by the fifth and final community card known as the "River," which is placed in the center of the table. Following the "River" is a final round of betting. The best five-card poker hand using any combination of a player's two private cards and the five communal cards is the winner of the chips in the pot for that hand.
 

     Simple enough! Not when gamesmanship is applied in the form of betting and bluffing. Players are allowed at anytime to make an "All In Bet," meaning they put their entire holding of chips into the pot and players remaining must match the chip amount or place their own entire holdings into the pot to remain in the hand. This makes Texas Holdem all the rage! Imagine you have three aces and think you are going to win the pot, only to find that your opponent makes a flush with the final river card.