Texas Holdem Poker

Texas Holdem poker is one of the most popular forms of poker in the world. Millions of people love this casino game for the fun of going all-in and risk their chips to double up quickly or gain leverage in a tournament.

Whether it’s a live tournament, a friendly home game, or online, this is one of the most exciting versions.

Texas Holdem poker sites in NZ can be quickly learned by anyone. But while it’s easy to learn, it can be tough to master.

Patience and reading other players are major parts to success since you can’t control the cards. Texas Holdem poker players can play at all online casino sites from our list on the home page.

Texas holdem logo

Best casinos for Texas HoldEm poker

Free Texas Holdem poker 

The top game in New Zealand poker is online Texas Holdem at online casinos. You can play online Texas Hold’em to play money from many online. There are many online casinos that offer bonuses and let you enter real money tournaments for free.

Many other countries let you play for real money as well. Texas Holdem will usually the default game if not the only one available.

Playing Texas Hold’em for real money online is legal, as long as the company you go through follow the rules of your country.

playing online texas hold em poker

How to play Texas Holdem poker?

Here you can learn how to play Texas Holdem poker at online casinos in New Zealand! Your playing style at Texas Holdem Poker is based on your hand selection and betting style. Tight hand selection means you only play the top 10-20 starting poker hands.

Betting and raising when it’s your turn is playing aggressively while letting others make bets which you call and sometimes raise is playing passively.

Playing tight and passive will only win you small pots while being loose and passive means you’ll call bad hands.

Being loose and aggressive means you rarely fold. Tight and aggressive is the way to play and you can imagine why. All styles have their pros and cons.

The key is to notice what styles others use.

Rules

When plying Holdem Poker players are dealt two cards face down and try to make the best 5-card hand.

After the deal and betting round, three community cards are dealt followed by another betting round.

The turn and river cards are dealt with a betting round after each card.

The showdown takes place and the remaining players show their hands and the player with the best 5 card hand wins.

Players can bet all their chips, or go “All-In” on any round. In the event of a tie, the pot is split.

A split pot can be an advantage if it’s not obvious to the other person you have the same hand because they might fold.

Hand values at Texas Holdem poker

Royal FlushRoyal flush
Straight flushStraight flush
Four of a kindFour of a kind
Full houseFull house
FlushFlush
StraightStraight
Three of a kindThree of a kind
Two pairTwo pair
One pairOne Pair
High CardHigh card
Does this ranking table also apply to texas holdem poker? The answer is yes!
  • High Card: An hand where no kind of pair, no straight or flush exists
  • One Pair: Two cards of the same rank
  • Two Pair: Two cards of one rank and two more cards of a different rank
  • Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank, try to have this without a paired board
  • Straight: Five cards in sequential order with not matching suits.
  • Flush: Five cards of the same suit
  • Full House: Three of a kind and one pair
  • Four Of A Kind: Four cards of the Same Rank
  • Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit with consecutive ranks
  • Royal Flush: An A-K-Q-J-T straight flush

Top tips for playing Texas Holdem poker

  • Position and chip stack determine when you should play tight or loose.
  • Be aggressive, unless the entire table is, then you should play passively
  • Only draw to the best possible hand from late position with great pot odds
  • Avoid being aggressive the bottom end of a straight or weak flush
  • Tight play can become predictable, sometimes change it up
  • Bluffing goes both ways. You can feign weakness to hide the strength
  • Only cold call if your hand is extremely strong.
  • Read how other players play you, not just when you’re not in the hand.
  • When on the button, you can raise to steal the blinds if everyone else folded

The history of Texas Holdem poker

While not much is known about exactly when Texas Holdem was invented or by whom, it dates back to the early 1900s in Robstown, Texas.

It spread throughout Texas and eventually reached Las Vegas in the 1960s.

In 1971, the second year of the World Series of Poker declared Texas Holdem should be the Main Event tournament and has remained the main event for decades.

It gained further popularity due to television broadcasts of tournaments, movies, and the internet.

Texas Holdem is so popular, if you say Hold ’em, people will think of Texas Holdem, although there are dozens of versions of Hold’em, nowadays people can play Texas Holdem poker online via mobile devices and computers.

Texas Holdem poker glossary

  • Big Blind: A rotating forced wager which goes into the pot before the cards are dealt.
  • Betting Round: Each deal is followed by a round of betting, except on an all-in bet.
  • Bluff: To bet with a hand which is weaker than your actions signify.
  • Board: The community cards
  • Bottom Pair: A pair that consists of the lowest pair on the board.
  • Button: The dealer position. To be on the button means you go last.
  • Check: To defer to the next player when no bet has been made. The round is over if everyone checks.
  • Check-Raise: When you Check to let someone else bet, then raise them.
  • Cold Call: A call two or more players have bet and raised in front of you.
  • Drawing: When your hand is based on cards you expect to receive
  • Drawing Dead: When no card in the deck can make your hand better than your opponent’s hand.
  • Flop: The first three of the five community cards.
  • Kicker: The less dominant hole card which determines hand strength in the event of a tie.
  • Outs: The number of cards that can improve your hand.
  • Paired Board: When a pair is dealt with the community.
  • Position: Where you are in relation to the button. Early, Mid, Late
  • Pot Odds: The percentage of winning a hand in relation to the bet size and pot size.
  • River: The final community card.
  • Suited Connectors: Any starting hand with have straight and flush possibilities.
  • Small Blind: A rotating forced wager which goes into the pot before the deal, it’s half the big blind amount.
  • Top Pair: A pair which consists of a higher card on the board
  • Turn: The fourth community, which is dealt with separately from the flop and river.

FAQ

Is Texas Holdem offered at all casinos?

All casinos offer the game Texas Holdem in RNG format, ie where you play against a computer. Most also offer Texas HodEm in their live casino with real dealers. But real poker against other poker players can only be found at gaming companies with real poker.

Are there any famous poker players from New Zealand?

Yep, and really good too. We have put together an article with New Zealand’s 5 best poker players ever.

Is poker a game of skill or luck?

Texas HoldEm poker is 100% skill in the long run but in the short run, luck plays a big role as alwyas. By understanding the game and by understanding that it is a Skill game in the long run, players can plan their game better and thus make sure to play after 100% skill in the long run.

How do I learn to play Texas HoldEM poker?

On this page we go through the basic rules for how to play Texas HoldEm. Learn the rules, the poker hands values and the poker glossary to master Texas holdem poker.