Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker game on the Internet. It is fast, easy to learn, and very exciting. The overview below will provide you with the basics of the game.

Participating in play money games is a good way to learn the mechanics of Texas Hold’em, however there is little similarity to the real thing. Playing in real money games on low money tables will give you a more accurate sense of the game.

BOSPoker.com offers stakes to accommodate all players, with betting limits as low as five cents for beginners up to $30 - $60 limits for more advanced players. If you are new to the game, joining a ‘no limit’ or ‘pot limit’ table for higher stakes is not recommended until you have more experience, and are comfortable with the game and your betting strategy.

In Texas Hold’em, two cards are dealt to the player as pocket cards. These are the cards that you hold and only you can see. Five other cards are dealt open on the table as community cards shared by all players. While the five community cards cannot be picked up (they are not displayed as part of your hand), all players use them to make the best five-card hand. Since there are fewer cards in play, this version of poker allows for a table of up to 10 players.

The dealer is identified by a disk called the ‘button’. Every player participating in the game will get a chance to be the dealer as the button moves one space to the left after each hand. The button's position is not simply symbolic. Betting position significantly affects a player's opportunities.

BEFORE THE DEAL:

Before any cards are dealt, two players must ‘post blinds’ (a forced bet before seeing any cards). The first player to the dealer's left (seat two) is the Small Blind, and must bet half the lower limit of the table (ex: $5 in a $10 - $20 game). Seat three is the Big Blind and must post the full value of the lower limit (ex: $10 in a $10 - $20) game.

FIRST BET:

After the Blinds have posted their bets, the two pocket cards are dealt clockwise to each player in turn, beginning with the player to the Big Blind's left.

Since the Blinds opened with their forced bets, the player to the Big Blind's right (seat four) bets first.

‘Call’ by matching the Big Blind ($10 in our example), ‘Raise’ by kicking in the big limit ($20 in our example), or ‘fold’ if you don’t like your cards. This round of betting is completed when all players have called or folded.

THE FLOP:

In addition to calling, raising, and folding, you now have the option of ‘checking’ for the rest of the hand. A player who checks at the beginning of a betting interval stays in the game for the moment without making a bet. If all payers check, the betting interval ends. However, if one player bets, the interval continues as usual: all other players (including those who have checked) must now call, raise, or fold.

With the pocket cards dealt and the first round of betting completed, the first three community cards are dealt and placed in the center of the table. This is called the ‘flop’.

After the flop, the betting round begins with the Blinds, or the first remaining seat on the dealer's left. Bets are placed at the lower limit ($10 in our example).

THE TURN:

A fourth community card is dealt. Betting again begins with the Blinds but all bets and raises are now at the high limit ($20 in our example) for the rest of the hand.

THE RIVER:

The fifth and final community card is dealt. Bets and raises are all at the high limit ($20 in our example).

THE SHOWDOWN:

Betting is now complete and the best 5-card hand wins. The computer will automatically create the best possible hand for you from your pocket cards and the five community cards. Any combination of the seven total cards is valid: table cards and pocket cards, or table cards only (ex: if the cards on the table show a Royal Flush, all players share that hand regardless of their pocket cards).