How to Play
Texas Hold’em
Poker has made its way from the back rooms of rusty steamships to the heart of modern internet culture. From side arms of the Mississippi stream to the core of the data stream that feeds our entertainment society. At the center stage of the poker hype is, of course, the undisputed king of card games: Texas Hold’em poker. So what’s all the buzz about? Stay with us to find out more.
NO-LIMIT TEXAS HOLD’EM
By far the most popular poker game today, No-Limit Texas Hold’em is played by millions, online and offline, everywhere around the world. The greatest players compete in TV formats and even the unofficial world championship of poker, the main event of the WSOP, is decided by No-Limit Hold’em. It’s fast, it’s highly entertaining, and it’s brilliantly simple. There is a famous saying that really sums it up perfectly: “It takes a minute to learn. And a lifetime to master.” You too can learn and master No-Limit Hold’em poker at Borgata. Check out the rules and how to play box below to find a detailed explanation or jump right in to the action.
HOLD’EM POKER AT BETMGM
The Borgata Poker app offers Hold’em poker for any bankroll and experience level. Exciting tournament action, exclusive promotions, and thrilling cash games are all available.
Join, play and interact with an international community of up to 40,000 poker players online at the same time.
RULES AND HOW TO PLAY
If you want to learn how to play Texas Hold’em with a more direct approach, Borgata Poker offers you ideal options to jump into a game and play for real.
Are you new to the game and/or want to get accustomed to Hold’em poker before you start playing? Then you will find it very helpful to read through the following section.
DEALER BUTTON
The dealer button is a marker that is placed in front of the player who is last to act in that round. It’s moved clockwise from player to player after every hand.
SMALL BLIND / BIG BLIND
Before the cards are dealt, the first and second player to the left of the dealer button post the small blind and big blind respectively. The big blind usually doubles the amount of a small blind and indicates the minimum bet size for this table. Once the blinds are on the table, the following players can either call, raise or fold.
HOLE CARDS
At the heart of the game are, naturally, the cards. In Texas Hold’em, every player gets dealt 2 hole cards, which means these cards are visible only to them. After the hole cards are dealt, a betting round begins, and the community cards come off the deck.
COMMUNITY CARDS
The 5 community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table, visible to everybody. The community cards (also called the board) are not dealt at once but in 3 separate phases: the flop, the turn and the river. The flop consists of 3 cards, with the turn and the river bringing 1 new card each. Between these phases, players get the chance to bet.
HAND BUILDUP
With the 2 personal hole cards and the 5 community cards, every player has a total of 7 cards available to them (after the river has been dealt). Out of the 7 cards, every player puts together the best possible hand consisting of 5 cards. Visit our poker school to find a complete list of possible hands and their values.
BETS
Before and after the flop, after the turn and after the river, players get the chance to bet. They can bet as much as they would like in No Limit. If a player has raised, the following players can either call, re-raise or fold.
WAYS TO WIN
Every pot can be won in 1 of 2 ways: a) a player wins by betting and getting no call by other players or b) a player wins by showing the best hand when it comes to a showdown.
SPLIT POTS
Whenever 2 or more players have the same 5-card hand, the pot is split evenly between the players involved. If the pot cannot be split perfectly, the odd extra amount will be awarded to the player nearest to the small blind position from a clockwise view.
MALFUNCTIONS AND DISCONNECTIONS
In the case of a malfunction or disconnection, the situation will be resolved according to our Disconnection and Cancellation Policy
Let’s See What a Round of Play Looks Like with Borgata Poker:
DEALER AND BLINDS
Before the cards are dealt, the first 2 players to the left of the dealer (button) post a small and a big blind respectively to create a starting pot.
THE DEAL
Once the blinds have been posted, each player is dealt 2 cards face down, the whole cards. Then the first betting round takes place, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
THE FLOP
When the first betting round is finished, 3 cards are dealt face up on the table. They are called “the flop.” Then the second betting round takes place, starting with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand.
THE TURN (FOURTH STREET)
After the second betting round, the fourth community card is dealt. It is called “the turn.” The third betting round takes place, starting with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand.
THE RIVER (FIFTH STREET)
The fifth and last community card is called “the river.” Now the hand is concluded by the fourth and last betting round, again starting with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand. If more than 1 player remains in the hand after the betting, there is a showdown.
Game Advice for Texas Hold’em
PLAY GOOD STARTING HANDS
Do not enter the betting with any 2 cards! With 10 players around the table, someone will have a better starting hand most of the time. When you enter the game with the second-best hand, your opponent is a favorite to win the pot.
THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITION
In Texas Hold’em, your position remains the same throughout the entire hand. A player that acts after you will act after you all the way to the river. This is a great disadvantage for you. As a rule, play only very strong hands in an early position. On the other hand, when you are in a late position, the advantage is yours to exploit.