Texas Holdem Blinds

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Nov 6,2008

Posting blinds is a very important aspect of the betting structure of Texas Hold’em poker. It keeps the action in a poker game moving and influences the way people play the game, including whether or not they will fold, check or increase their bets. As the blinds increase, they can also make the game more exciting.

In Texas Hold’em there are two types of blind bets: the small blind and the big blind. These blinds are forced bets, which must be made by players who are participating in a hand. In Texas Hold’em, the dealer button indicates the position of the dealer and the dealing schedule; the button moves around the table to keep track of the dealer position. The small blind is always posted by the person to the left of the dealer. The big blind is always posted by the person to the left of the small blind. So, the onus for posting these bets is rotated as the dealer button moves around the table.

The small and big blinds are posted before the pocket hands are dealt, before the community cards are dealt and before the players have a clue as to the outcome of the dealing or the hand. Because they have made an initial investment in the hand, these players are then motivated to stay in the hand, even if they don’t like their cards, in order to get a return. This becomes especially risky as the game progresses, others are eliminated and the blinds increase incrementally. At some point, the blinds will be so high, that paying them can break a player.

Normally, the small blind is half of the big blind and the big blind is the same amount as the minimum bet. In a Texas Hold’em tournament, these amounts are pre-determined. At the beginning of the tournament, the blinds will be a lower amount and will begin to increase as the tournament moves forward. The blinds are either increased after a pre-determined set period of time or after a pre-determined set number of hands. This increases the action of the game and eliminates any low-ranking players from the game.

Another forced bet that can be applied is called an ante. This can be used in addition to bets in a Texas Hold’em tournament. The ante is a pre-determined amount that each player must post before the cards are dealt. This can increase the action of the game and considerably increases the winnings in the pot before a hand has even begun. For instance, if the small blind is $20 and the big blind is $40 and the ante is $10 in a five player game, the pot already contains $110 before the cards are even dealt.

As you can see, forced bets are an important part of the betting schedule in Texas Hold’em style poker, needed to keep the game moving, eliminate straggling opponents and motivate betting.

Location, Location…

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Nov 6,2008

One of the best basic rules of Texas Hold’em No Limit poker you can learn is the principle of location. Essentially, he who acts last profits from the most amount of information. Information, you will find, is critical to your decision making in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker. As such it is advantageous indeed to be ‘on the button’ as they say, or to have the dealer button positioned on you as this means you are the last to act.

This rule applies whether you are playing Texas Hold’em No Limit poker live or online at one of the many online poker rooms available on the internet.

Oftentimes, examples are the best way to illustrate the prinicple of location in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker.

Here are just 3 of the best available examples we can provide to consider the benefits of location in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker:

a. there are say, 3 players in the hand and the board comes J-10-3 rainbow. You are on the button and everyone checks to you. If your hole cards are 10-Ace this may be a suitable time to bet knowing that neither player looks to have an J pair, and you may well have the best hand amongst all the players at the moment.

b. in the same situation as a., if you have K-Q and are one card short of a straight, you can call any raises down to see if you hit a straight by the time you get to the river. Compare this to acting first – you may choose not to bet out any chips (representing you have a pair from the board) as someone may re-raise you, costing you more chips to see if you will hit a straight. Because you always act first, are unkeen to raise yet call his raises, it may become apparent to your opponent that you are waiting for the straight. Knowing this, your opponent can then bet against you on the flop, turn and the river, and, if he thinks you are drawing for your straight, put in all his chips to chase you off the round.

c. in the same situation as b., if you get to the river and still have not hit a straight, if your opponent(s) have never bet all the way to the turn or the river, neither your opponents may have hit any cards. You may want to bet, suggesting you have a pair or better, getting everybody to fold and thus winning the pot with nothing but a King-high.

These are just 3 examples to illustrate the value of position in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker. Whether you are a live or online poker player, these are one of the best poker principles you can learn in playing the game. The later you act the more information you have, and information, you will find, is one of the most important aspects of Texas Hold’em No Limit poker.