About the Main Game of Online Poker Gambling
About the Main Game of Online Poker Gambling – Texas Holdem is the poker game of choice for millions of players everywhere. Poker rooms in casinos feature them for cash, lower limit and no limit events.
The 2017 World Series of Poker hosted over 8,000 attendees at the main event at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The recent poker craze actually started in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker (yes, that’s his real name) won a seat in the main event of the World Series of idnplay Poker by winning an online tournament for just $40 an entry fee! Chris won the event and took home $2.5 Million!
How the Tournament Plays
Maybe you’ve seen tournaments on television. You’re excited but a little confused when you hear, “he’s on the button, he’s under the gun, the big blind got the free flop”. Here are some explanations:
Players must first purchase poker chips for a fixed purchase amount. For example, a $100 + $25 buy-in might be worth $1,000 in poker chips: $100 towards the prize pool, and $25 for the house. For tournaments, all players start with the same number of chips.
The game is played on an oval table that can accommodate six or nine players and the house agent.
Before any action, all players must place a bet in the pot. The amount is predetermined.
Before playing, the dealer places a white disc called the button in front of the player immediately to his or her left. The button, AKA the buck, represents the theoretical dealer and has an edge at the table because he is the last to act during the game. The button moves to one player on the left after each round.
The first player to the left of the button is called the small blind. The player to the immediate left of the small blind is called the big blind. Both players must put a predetermined amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. The number of the big blind is double that of the small blind. The goal is to instigate action by ensuring a large amount of money is in the pot before playing. The number of bets and blinds increases after a certain period of time which is called a level.
Two cards are dealt face down to each player. The first player to the left of the big blind is under the gun and begins his action with one of three actions:
Dirt (fold) the cards so they don’t get out of hand.
Call, by betting the big blind amount.
Raise, by betting twice the big blind amount.
The move continues with each player in turn and ends with the big blind. If the player only calls, the small blind only needs to enter half the amount of the big blind. The big blind will then get a free flop in the next segment.
The dealer then burns (discards) one card and drops three cards face up. These community cards can be used by all players to strengthen their hands. The action begins with the first player to the left of the big blind who has not moved his hand.
The player in turn can check (opt out of the bet at the time) or make a bet. If the player bet fails, the checking player must decide to fold or stay with the bet. In no-limit games, players can raise any of them including entering all.