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Hi. Poker addict here. I absolutely love the game and spend hours online playing Texas HoldEm for fun. Okay, so maybe I've a bit of problem but at least it makes me qualified to ramble a bit about it. I know it can be a confusing game for a complete newcomer so here are some of the basic rules and terminology laid out for you:

1. Big Blind/Small Blind:

Before any cards are dealt two people automatically have to put in money. The person to the dealer's left is the Small Blind and to his left is the Big Blind. The Small Blind posts half the amount of the Big Blind (i.e. 50/100). This ensures that money is played in every round.

2. Dealer:

The dealer deals two cards to every player. After the cards are dealt anyone who wishes to stay in the game has to match the Big Blind, whoever put in the Big Blind can "Check" to proceed to the next round provided no one has raised.

3. Folding:

If you don't like your hand then you can fold. This means throwing in your cards and sitting out till the next round starts.

4. Raise:

You can raise at any stage of the game, generally it must be to the same or higher amount as the Big Blind. After someone has raised you must match them to continue playing and can put it more chips if you wish to raise the bet even higher.

5. Pot:

This is all the money up for grabs.

6. Side Pot:

If someone decides to go All In (bet all of there remaining chips) and someone else matches this then raises and a third person matches that raise a side pot is created. This simply signifies that a player has insufficient funds to match this bet and is therefore ineligible to win what they can't match should there hand be the best one. This side pot goes to the player with the second highest hand.

7. The Flop:

These are the first 3 cards that are put on the table.

8. Checking:

After The Flop has been dealt you can Check to continue playing unless someone bets. Checking is often signified by tapping the tale twice, this means you wish to keep playing without betting. If everyone checks then you continue to the next card without any money going on the table.

9. The Turn:

This is the fourth card put on the table. Once place the same process os checking, betting and raising ensues.

10. The River:

The fifth and final card put on the table. Once everyone has checked, bet, raised or folded everyone shows their cards to determine the winner. You may use any of the seven cards (the two you have and the five shared on the table) to create the best possible hand.

11. Hands:

In terms of single cards Two is he lowest and Ace is the highest. This is the order of hands from lowest to highest:

High Card; unrelated cards ranked by the highest card
Pair: Two cards of the same number
Two Pair: Well, pretty self explanatory.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same number
Straight: Five cards in sequence in mixed suits
Flush: Five cards of the same suit
Full House: A pair and three of a kind
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same number
Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence all of the same suit
Royal Flush: A straight flush with specific cards 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace

Well, that's the long and short of it. Now all you need to do is find a deck of cards and a few friends and start practicing, good luck!

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