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"A minute to learn and a lifetime to master" is the popular description of Texas hold'em and explains its allure to card players worldwide. Once popular, then obscure, now hugely popular again, Texas holdem is being played online and in the living rooms, poker rooms, and league halls across the United States.

Texas Hold'em is one of the many versions of poker, a card game where some or all of the players' cards are concealed and bets are made as to who has the best combination of cards. There are hundreds of different types of poker, but hold'em is, undoubtedly, the most popular.

The mass appeal of Texas Hold'em is that it is easy to learn how to play. Even if you don't know the hierarchy of hands (e.g. full house beats a flush), you can get by in a friendly game. Once you get started, you begin to understand the nuances of the game and betting strategy. Mastering those nuances and strategy pulls you in deeper and deeper.

Another aspect of Texas hold'em that makes it more appealing than other betting games, is that involves skill in addition to luck. Understanding and calculating odds, reading other players and putting them "on hands", and developing winning betting strategies are examples of skills winning hold'em players are able to develop. Calculating hand and pot odds are probably the most important and least subjective of these skills.

However, unlike other poker variants, beginners can have a measure of success in hold'em without being intimidated out of a game, because of the progressive nature of the betting. Usually, each "hand" is started with a round of forced betting called the "big blind" and the "little blind". Two concealed cards called "pocket cards" or "hole cards" are then dealt to each player, followed by a round of betting. Three face up community cards called the "flop" are then dealt, followed by another round of betting. Another face-up community card called "the turn" or "fourth street" is dealt, followed by another round of betting. Finally, a fifth face-up community card called "the river" or "fifth street" is dealt, followed by, you guessed it, another round of betting. At each level, players can choose to continue to play by betting, or quit that hand by "folding."

Texas hold'em is a game of possibilities. You're given two concealed cards, which can turn into an extraordinarily good or extraordinarily bad hand. The sky is the limit. The allure of this possibility is another reason why Texas hold'em is so popular.

Finally, hold'em is a game that can be watched, with suspense at every level of dealing and betting. Because of this, there are a variety of new poker television shows that have introduced the game to an enormous population of potential players. With the easy availability of online gaming, these novice players can exercise their curiosity immediately by the simple click of a mouse .

Texas Hold'em poker has witnessed an explosion in popularity. This is due to the game's simple rules and exciting format. The ability to broadcast the game to mass audiences and make it instantly available through online gaming has fueled the fire of it popularity. Texas hold'em is now a household phrase. Shuffle up and deal!

Learn more about this author, Joseph Hazelbaker.
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