Hold Em Card Game

Occasionally, someone will ask me if Poker and Texas Hold’em are the same thing. I’ve been a professional poker player for years and am happy to explain the differences between various card games.

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What is the difference between Poker and Texas Hold’em? Poker and Texas Hold’em are not the same thing. Texas Hold’em is a community card game, one of the thre variations of poker. Other variants include Stud and Draw Poker. All poker games are played by two or more players who compete to try and make the best hand by using a defined hand ranking system.

Now that you know how Texas Hold’em is just one of many poker games, let’s discuss a few of its variations. Think of this as a crash course on everything poker.

The Variations of Poker

There are three main types of poker variants:

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1. Community Card Games
2. Draw Poker Games
3. Stud Poker Games

While growing up, I learned to play draw and stud poker. In fact, anyone over the age of 40 probably did so as well. However, community card games are by far the most popular poker games today.

While there are key differences between each poker variation, there are also numerous commonalities.

What All Poker Games Have in Common

Each game within a variant will almost always have the same basic rules. All poker variations have:

• An “Ante” (Pronounced An-Tee) which is the minimum amount of money that each player much wager to play in the game. These are forced bets before the game begins. In some games, every player pays the same ante while in other games only a set number of players pay the ante or “blind.”
• Betting rounds where players can bet, check, call, or raise.
• The same hand ranking system including high card, pairs, two-pairs, trips, straights, flushes, full-houses, four-of-a-kind, straight flushes, and the extremely rare royal flush.
• Competition with at least two players being needed to play. There is no solo poker.

While the hand rankings tend to be the same, the way the game plays can vary wildly from one variant to another. Here are the three common variations with examples of popular games.

1. Community Card Poker Games

In a community card poker game, every player is dealt a defined number of “hole” cards that belong them alone. Each player then matches their hole cards with the “community cards” in order to make a 5-card poker hand.

Common Community Card Poker Games

• Texas Hold’em – Each player is dealt two hole cards and then there is a “pre-flop” betting round following a defined order of play. Three community cards, called the “flop, are then dealt and there is a 2nd betting round. After the flop, comes the turn where a single community card is dealt followed by the third betting round. Finally, the last community card called the “river” is dealt and the fourth and final betting round occurs. If action is closed on the river, then the players with hole cards still in play “showdown” their hands in a defined order and determine the winner.
• Omaha – Omaha plays exactly like Hold’em except that each player receives 4 hole cards and exactly two of those hole cards must be used to determine his or her best 5-card hand. For example, if there are 4 Hearts on the board, a player must still have two hearts in their hand in order to make a flush.
• Pineapple – Pineapple is a game with many variations. Each player is dealt three hole cards, one of which can be discarded at a particular point in the hand, depending on the variation. Most commonly, the discard happens pre-flop. No matter on what street the discard occurs, the hand otherwise plays just like Texas Hold’em.
• Courchevel – This game plays just like Omaha except that each player gets five hole cards and one of the flop cards is dealt before the first betting round occurs.

2. Draw Poker Games

In draw poker games the players do not share any cards but are rather are dealt a complete hand before the first betting round. Typically, each player is allowed to trade in and “draw” between one and four cards new cards from the deck. There is now another betting round based on the new hands and showdown occurs.

Common Draw Poker Games

• Five-Card Draw – In five-card draw, each player is dealt five cards. Typically, each player can trade is between one and three cards after the initial betting round. However, some local rules allow for four cards to be traded if the player has an Ace.
• Seven-Card Draw – Plays exactly like five-card draw, except each player is dealt seven cards at the start of the game.
• Double-Draw – Double-Draw plays exactly like regular draw poker there are two draw phases instead of just one, which adds an extra betting round to the game. There is also triple-draw poker as well.

3. Stud Poker Games

In stud poker games, the players are dealt a set number of cards. Only the cards initially dealt can be used to play the game. There are no community cards and no cards are drawn. Typically, each player is dealt a set number of down cards and then a defined number of face-up cards. Usually, the last card dealt is again face down.

Common Stud Poker Games

• Seven-Card Stud – Seven-card Stud was the most popular game in the world before Texas Hold’em took that title in the early part of the 21st century. At the start of the game, each player is dealt two cards face down and one card up. After the initial deal, the first betting round occurs. There is then one betting round after each additional card is dealt face up. The final card is dealt face down. There are five betting rounds possible with each player ending up with three cards down and four face-up.
• Razz – Commonly known as “seven card stud low”, Razz is a game where you try to make the lowest hand possible in poker. The wheel is the most powerful hand in Razz followed be 6, 4, 3, 2, A and 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, so on and so forth. Except for the different hand ranking criteria, Razz plays exactly like seven-card-stud.
• Five-Card Stud – This game was most popular in the 18th century and involves each player is dealt one card down and one card face up. The player with the lowest card must pay a “bring in” bet in order to continue in the game. Then, there is a betting round. The player with the best hand showing always goes first. In total, there are four face-up cards with a betting round after the cards are dealt.
• Mississippi Stud – Mississippi stud plays exactly like seven-card stud except that there is no betting round between fourth and fifth streets. Also, the final card is dealt up. This game has the same feel as Texas Hold’em except there are no community cards.

Final Thoughts

So now you know that Texas Hold’em and poker are not the same thing and that Hold’em is just one game in a multitude of poker games. If you are interesting in learning Texas Hold’em strategy, be sure to check out my comprehensive tutorial.

Related Questions

What is HORSE? HORSE is a mixed poker game where each of five different poker games is played in turn. Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud, and Eight-or-betting.

Can you bet after the river in Texas Hold’em? Yes, you can bet after the river card is dealt in Texas Hold’em. There are four betting rounds total: One after the hole cards are dealt, one after the flop is dealt, one after the turn is dealt, and one after the river is dealt.

Is Ace high or low in poker? In most poker games the Ace can be high or low. An Ace can be either the highest card that can make a straight, Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace (called broadway) or the lowest card that can make a straight, Ace-Two-Three-Four-Five (called the wheel).

Texas Hold’em is arguably the most famous of all poker games. If you are new to the game of poker, Texas Hold’em Poker is a great place to start. Hold ’em consists of two cards (“hole cards”) being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer — a series of three (“the flop”) then an additional single card (“the turn”) and another additional card (“the river”) – with players having the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal; i.e., betting may occur prior to the flop, “on the flop”, “on the turn”, and “on the river”.

Texas Hold’em Rules:

Texas Hold’em Poker is a community card game that can be played anywhere from 2-10 players.

1. One player acts as dealer. This position is called the button and it rotates clockwise after every hand.
2. The two players to the left of the dealer are called the small blind and the big blind, respectively.
3. These two positions require forced bets of a pre-determined amount and are the only players to put money in the pot before the cards are dealt (if no ante in place).
4. Every player then receives two cards face down. These are called “hole” cards.
5. Once all hole cards have been dealt, the first betting round begins with the player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind. This player can fold, call (match the amount of the big blind) or raise.
6. Betting then continues clockwise, with each player having the option to fold, call the amount of the highest bet before them, bet or raise.
7. When the first betting round is completed, three community cards are flipped face up on the table. This is called the flop.
8. The betting resumes, clockwise, with each player having the option to check (if no bet is in front of them), bet (or raise if a bet is before them), call or fold.
9. When the second round of betting is finished, a fourth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the turn.
10. The third round of betting commences with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the button.
11. When the third round of betting is over, a fifth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the river.
12. The fourth round of betting starts with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting continues to move clockwise.

The Details

Now here are some more detailed looks at aspects of Texas Hold’em.

A standard hold ’em game showing the position of the blinds relative to the dealer button.

Hold ’em is normally played using small and big blinds – forced bets by two players. Antes (forced contributions by all players) may be used in addition to blinds, particularly in later stages of tournaments. A dealer “button” is used to represent the player in the dealer position; the dealer button rotates clockwise after each hand, changing the position of the dealer and blinds. The small blind is posted by the player to the left of the dealer and is usually equal to half of the big blind. The big blind, posted by the player to the left of the small blind, is equal to the minimum bet. In tournament poker, the blind/ante structure periodically increases as the tournament progresses. After one round of betting is done, the next betting round will start by the person after the big blind and small blind.

When only two players remain, special ‘head-to-head’ or ‘heads up’ rules are enforced and the blinds are posted differently. In this case, the person with the dealer button posts the small blind, while his/her opponent places the big blind. The dealer acts first before the flop. After the flop, the dealer acts last and continues to do so for the remainder of the hand.

Play of the Hold’em hand

Each player is dealt two private cards in hold ’em, which are dealt first. Play begins with each player being dealt two cards face down, with the player in the small blind receiving the first card and the player in the button seat receiving the last card dealt. (As in most poker games, the deck is a standard 52-card deck containing no jokers.) These cards are the players’ hole or pocket cards. These are the only cards each player will receive individually, and they will only (possibly) be revealed at the showdown.

The poker hand begins with a “pre-flop” betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. A round of betting continues until every player has folded, put in all of their chips, or matched the amount put in by all other active players. Note that the blinds in the pre-flop betting round are counted toward the amount that the blind player must contribute. If all players call around to the player in the big blind position, that player may either check or raise.

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After the pre-flop betting round, assuming there remain at least two players taking part in the hand, the dealer deals a flop, three face-up community cards. The flop is followed by a second betting round. All betting rounds begin with the player to the button’s left and continue clockwise. After the flop betting round ends, a single community card (called the turn or fourth street) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final single community card (called the river or fifth street) is then dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.

In all casinos, the dealer will “burn” a card before the flop, turn, and river. The burn occurs so players who are betting cannot see the back of the next community card to come. This is done for historical/traditional reasons, to avoid any possibility of a player knowing in advance the next card to be dealt.

The Showdown

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If a player bets and all other players fold, then the remaining player is awarded the pot and is not required to show his hole cards. If two or more players remain after the final betting round, a showdown occurs. On the showdown, each player plays the best poker hand they can make from the seven cards comprising his two hole cards and the five community cards. A player may use both of his own two hole cards, only one, or none at all, to form his final five-card hand. If the five community cards form the player’s best hand, then the player is said to be playing the board and can only hope to split the pot, because each other player can also use the same five cards to construct the same hand.

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If the best hand is shared by more than one player, then the pot is split equally among them, with any extra chips going to the first players after the button in clockwise order. It is common for players to have closely valued, but not identically ranked hands. Nevertheless, one must be careful in determining the best hand; if the hand involves fewer than five cards, (such as two-pair or three-of-a-kind), then “kickers” (the highest other card) are used to settle ties. Note that the card’s numerical rank is of sole importance; suit values are irrelevant in Hold’em. The last player to bet is the first player to show his hand.

Now that you know how to play Texas Hold’em poker, you are ready to hit the tables! Sign up today to get started and win real money!