Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Limit Holdem Rules and Procedures


Limit Holdem is one of the most popular variants of the Texas Holdem family of poker games, and its tournaments continue to draw huge fields and talented players each year wherever they are contested across the World.

1. The first two players to the left of the dealer button---which marks the position of where an actual player-dealer world be if participants took turns dealing---are required to post the blinds. A blind bet is a wager a player is required to put in the pot before receiving any cards. In our example game, the player immediately to the left of the dealer puts in a blind bet of $2 and the player two seats to the left of the dealer puts in $4. In online sites, this is all handled automatically by the software. So, in this game, there is $6 in the pot that players than can compete for even before any cards are dealt.

2. The computer shuffles and distributes one card at a time face down to each player, beginning to the left of the button, and continuing clockwise until each participant has two cards. These two cards are the only ones each player will receive during a hand of holdem.

3. The action begins with the player to the left of the big blind. Each player, acting clockwise in turn, must call the previous bet, raise it $4, or throw the hand away.

4. All bets are added to the pot, along with the original blinds, in the center of the table.

5. If you bet or raise and all your opponents fold, you win what’s in the pot, and there is no subsequent dealing or betting on this hand.

6. If there are callers and no raise, the big blind has the option to raise, even though he has only been called. This is called a live blind.

7. If two or more players remain after the first round of betting, the deal continues. Three face-up cards will be dealt all at once in the center of the table. This is called the flop.

8. Players coordinate the two secret cards held in their hand with the three cards face up on the board to form their five-card poker hand. There is a second round of betting, beginning to the left of the dealer. All bets remain at the pre-established $4 limits.

9. If two or more players remain after the second round of betting the deal continues. The dealer turns over a fourth communal board card in the center of the table. This is called the turn card.

10. There is a third round of betting, beginning with the first active player to the left of the dealer. All bets now double to $8.

11. If two or more players remain after the third round of betting, the deal continues. The dealer delivers a fifth and final communal board card in the center of the table. It’s called the river card.

12. There is a fourth and final round of betting, beginning to the left of the dealer. All bets remain at $8.

13. If two or more players remain after the final betting round, there is a showdown to determine the winner. The computer turns the winning two cards face up on the table. The best hand is determined by incorporating those two cards and any of the five communal board cards to form the best traditional five-card poker hand. The player having that best hand wins all the money in the pot.

14. The dealer button moves clockwise, one spot to the left, the blind bets are placed for the next hand, and the process is repeated.

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