Poker Tutorial: Texas Holdem Example

The table is full with the following players

ANT
is dealing so BOBBY posts the $0.50 small blind and CHAD the $1 big blind.

ANT then deals two cards face down to each player staring with BOBBY and finishing with himself.

The players look at their cards making sure no one else sees what they have been dealt.

	ANT	Ace of clubs and King of diamonds (Ac-Kd)
	BOBBY	King of hearts and six of hearts (Kh-6h)
	CHAD	Nine of spades and eight of diamonds (9s-8d)
	DISCS	Jack of clubs and Jack of Spades (Jc-Js)
	AYE	Queen of diamonds and six of hearts (Qd-6h)
	TBONE	King of spades and four of hearts (Ks-4h)

DISCS
is the player to the left of the big blind and therefore the next to act in the first round of betting. DISCS is happy with his pocket pair of Jacks – a great start – he thinks he could well have the best hand at the moment. Not wanting to frighten everyone into folding and being a little cautious about being the first to bet, DISCS decides to call and puts $1 into the pot.

AYE
is next to play he isn’t happy with his cards and folds without losing a thing.

TBONE
doesn’t have a strong hand but gets excited about his King and decides he wants to see the flop so throws a dollar in.

ANT
is on the button – he will be last to act in each of the following betting rounds and therefore holds the strongest position at the table. ANT may take stock of other players actions before making his decision on how to bet. He also has one of the best starting hands. He sees that DISCS and TBONE have both limped in and suspects they don’t have much of a hand right now or they would have raised. He thinks that perhaps they just want to see the flop so that they can make a hand. BOBBY and CHAD are still left in but they have had to put money into the pot without even seeing their cards. Having a strong hand, ANT wants to make the other players pay to see more cards and decides to make a strong play - he raises $1 by putting $2 in to the pot.

BOBBY
doesn’t currently hold a great hand but he has a possible flush draw – he needs three more hearts from the remaining five cards – if he does make a flush – a very good hand – he will probably win – although he has the danger of someone beating him with a flush ace high. BOBBY is worried by ANTS raise as in this position he wants to see cards as cheaply as possible until he gets his flush. As he has already posted the small blind he thinks its worth another $1.50 to see the flop to see if he can make his flush.

CHAD
has already put a dollar in the pot so needs to add one more to see the flop. Holding 8,9 and the possibility of drawing a straight he throws in another dollar. CHAD is a fairly week player and normally pays out his cash to see the flop whatever he holds in the hope of making something. He also can’t stand to see his big blind dollar wasted.

DISCS and TBONE both decide to stay in and throw in another dollar to see ANT and the flop.

The pot now stands at a healthy $10.

The dealer flops. Ace of spades Jack of hearts and ten of hearts (As-Jh-10h)

As the first player to the left of the dealer, BOBBY is the first to act. He is pleased as he has flopped two more hearts and now has a 4 flush. He needs just one more heart from the remaining three cards. He decides to check and hopes everyone else will check so he gets another cheap card.

CHAD
has had a good flop as well. He now has 8910J and needs either a queen or a seven to complete a straight. He too is looking for another cheep card and checks.

DISCS
starts jumping up and down in front of his computer – three rooks! The likelihood is that he is currently winning. DISCS wants to make it expensive for anyone else to stay in and wants to try and steel the pot know. He also wants to check out ANT to see if he still holds a strong hand. DISCS raises.

TBONE
has played a poor game - he paid two dollars to see the flop and even if he had drawn a King he would still have been unlikely to win with a four kicker. He regrets getting involved in the game and folds.

ANT
is last to act. He’s beginning to think he’s got BOBBY and CHAD sussed - he thinks they either have nothing or are playing for a straight or flush draw. But now he’s a bit confused about DISCS. He didn’t appear to have a strong hand pre flop but has flopped something good now. Could he have KQ? Two pairs? Trips? ANT has a strong hand with a pair of Aces and a king kicker and decides to call DISCS hoping he just has a pair of Aces with a low kicker.

BOBBY and CHAD are both worried now that DISCS and ANT appear to have strong hands but they have both committed too much to the pot and don’t want to fold now when the next card could win it for them they both call.

The Turn card reveals a seven of clubs.

That does nothing for BOBBY who checks hoping no-one will raise as he has one last chance to make his flush.

CHAD
is loving it – he has made the straight draw. He almost knocks his cherryade over as he punches the air. Surely the pot is his. CHAD used to play a lot with his friends but everyone knew when he had a good hand by the expression on his face. That’s why he prefers to play on the internet where no one can tell when he has made a good hand. Chad immediately raises $2.

DISCS
is surprised by CHAD's raise following a seven and suspects he may have made a straight or two pairs or three sevens. DISCS can’t see past his three picture cards and calls.

ANT
pauses. So what’s CHAD got? And what’s discs got that’s too good to throw?

With these doubts and holding just a pair ANT thinks about folding but with a healthy pot he wants to see what’s going on and calls.

BOBBY
has had enough he has spent too much trying for his flush draw and with three other players seemingly with strong hands he gets out. How upset will he be if a heart comes along on the river.

AND deals the final card – The River - Queen of Spades

CHAD
is first to act. He thinks he’s got the pot won with his straight and doesn’t waste time wondering what everyone else has. He raises $2.

DISCS
has lost confidence now and fears CHAD has made a straight. Having gone this far in the game he decides to call anyway. After all he has three pretty picture cards.

ANT
knows he’s got the nuts – the best possible hand with the cards available. There is no way he can lose and at worst would tie the pot if someone else holds the same hand. ANT raises to $4.

CHAD
has another look at the cards on the table. Oh no. What if ANTs got AK for a higher straight. CHAD calls.

DISCS
thinks he has lost now but calls anyway.

Showdown. As ANT has been called he must reveal his cards – He wins a healthy $32 pot – not bad for a few minutes work.

DISCS
is a bit embarrassed and decides to muck (throw his cards away without anyone seeing).

CHAD
feels hard done by and shows everyone his hand.

On to the next hand…

Game Analysis

Who played well and who played badly?

Did Ant deserve to take the pot or did he just get lucky?

What would you have done differently?

See our analysis of the game to find out