For the home game to get started quickly and that there should be no
confusion of how the games is player, it will help if anyone will know what
rules that apply to that particular game to be played.
It may therefore be useful to send out the rules together with the invitation, if you
do not, it would be good if the organizers are going through the rules that applies.
Each player receives two cards that the other players can not see. First, the
first two players to the left of the dealer place the small blind and the big
blind, which is regulated by the blind structure level of the game. The players after the big blind can then
choose to fold, call or raise. Normally its not allowed to
raise for more than 3 time for each player .
Once all players have chosen to act three cards dealt on the table (the flop). The three
cards may be used by everyone around the table and are called community cards. The player left of the dealer gets
to be the first to act after the new cards are dealt.
Now, no new action is nedded if all players around the table selects to
check no more chips is needed to se the next card (Turn)
If the player chooses to raise, all the others must call and put in as much as the player who raised
or fold. Once all players have acted on the fourth card (the turn) can be dealt and
may be used by all players.
The same procedure is repeated again and a fifth card (the river) is then dealt.
When the river has been dealt, all players are to combine the hole cards with the community cards and try to get the best five card hand.
Before it is time for a showdown a last betting round is preformed.
When there is only two players that are dealt cards (heads up) there is some differences for the first betting round.
Normaly the first player to acts is the one sitting to the left of the Big Blind. But as there would be a to big
advantage for the dealer when there is only two players. As the dealer would be both the button and the Big Blind.
The rules are some what changed. The button always start betting in the first round. And from the second betting round
the player sitting after (to the left) the button start the betting.
Texas hold 'em will normaly be played one of tree variations:
- No limit: Any player can declare him self all-in and bet all the chips infront of him when it is he's turn to act.
- Pot limit: A player can only as a max bet or raise the same amount as is in the pot.
- Fixed limit: A pre defined amount for the bet is decided prior to the start of the game.
In a $10/$20 fixed limit game a the players can only bet/raise $10 for each bet or raise for the first two rounds
in the two last round the players can only bet $20 for each bet or rasie.
As an example, player 1 bets $10 and the second player can the raise additonally 10$ and put in a total of $20 ($10 to call the initially bet and the raise $10)
This similar to hold'em but differs quit a bit in strategy. There is some major dfferences:
- Each player recives four hole cards instead of two
- You have to use two of your hole card when trying to get the best five card hand, no more and no less the two cards
Betting, blinds etc is just the same as in holdem. The most popular type of omaha is Pot limit.
There is also a variation that is called Omaha Hi/lo and in the game the pot is split between both the best hand and the worst hand.
You should build the both hand from your hole cards, it does not need to be the same card for both hands.
This is one of my own favorit variations of the hold'em type.
In this game you will be dealt three hole cards. But unlike Omaha you are to throw away one of the
hole card after that you have seen the flop
Otherwise it is played the same way as hold'em.