2008 Woodie Awards
Texas Hold 'Em
The king of today's card table
Jordan Allen
Issue date: 10/5/06 Section: Features
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When poker is mentioned, people might generally think of old men holding cigars. Not anymore.
Today, Texas Hold 'Em is the poker game of choice, and more and more people are playing it in casinos, in tournaments and at home.
"The popularity of Hold 'Em creates a large community," said Jake Modery, an Amarillo College student.
"There isn't any problem finding people to play with. It's crazy."
Texas Hold 'Em poker is spreading across the nation. More than one in five people play poker on a regular basis, according to the Play Texas Hold 'Em Web site.
With television shows such as Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel and ESPN's World Series Of Poker, people everywhere want to know how to play this popular game.
Here are the rules of Texas Hold 'Em:
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. (In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer (the button) 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.
This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum bet and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are known as the "hole cards."
A round of betting then 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.
After the first betting round, the dealer 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.
Today, Texas Hold 'Em is the poker game of choice, and more and more people are playing it in casinos, in tournaments and at home.
"The popularity of Hold 'Em creates a large community," said Jake Modery, an Amarillo College student.
"There isn't any problem finding people to play with. It's crazy."
Texas Hold 'Em poker is spreading across the nation. More than one in five people play poker on a regular basis, according to the Play Texas Hold 'Em Web site.
With television shows such as Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel and ESPN's World Series Of Poker, people everywhere want to know how to play this popular game.
Here are the rules of Texas Hold 'Em:
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. (In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left of the dealer (the button) 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.
This is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum bet and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Each player is dealt two cards face down. These are known as the "hole cards."
A round of betting then 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.
After the first betting round, the dealer 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.
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