Texas hold'em poker is a type of game known as a ?flop,? which combines elements of stud and draw poker. It is the most popular and challenging of the flop poker games. In Texas hold'em the players vie in each hand to win the pot--the total amount of the bets that the players have placed in the course of a hand. However, the goal of a strategic player is to win money, not to win pots--there is a small but crucial difference between the two.

A hand in Texas hold'em starts with each player being dealt two face-down cards, known as the pocket cards. After all the players have received their pocket cards, the dealer places additional cards face up on the table to make up the ?board.? The cards on the board are community cards--meaning that they are available for any player to combine with their pocket cards to form a betting hand. There are three stages involved in dealing the board, though not every hand will go all the way to the last stage. In the first stage, after an initial round of betting, the dealer lays down three face-up cards--called the flop. After the second round of betting, the dealer lays down a fourth card, or the ?turn.? Another round of betting follows, and then dealer lays down the last card, or the ?river.? Then a final round of betting follows.

Players vie to win a pot by combining their pocket cards with some of the community cards on the board into the best possible hand that they can create. Hand creation is a science into itself, but let us just go into the basics. In Texas hold'em, no suit has a greater value than any other, and the Ace can be a high card or a low card, but when used as a single card or a kicker, it is always high. The hand rankings in Texas hold'em, in descending order, are as follows:

Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in sequential order. A royal straight flush is 10, J, Q, K, A and is the highest possible hand in the game.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.

Full House: A combination of three of a kind and one pair in a single hand. For example, three 7s and two As.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit.

Straight: Five cards of different suits in sequential order.

Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. (Also known as a set or trips.)

Two Pair: Two cards of one rank beside two cards of a different rank. For example: K, K, 9, 9. Two pair is always combined with a ?kicker? (a fifth card that is not part of a pair).

Pair: Two cards of the same rank. For example, a pair of Queens.

High Card: A single card with the highest face value in your hand.

As more cards are laid on the board, the options for forming a hand often increase.

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