BETTING

A round plastic marker called the dealer "button" is placed in front of the player who would be dealing if a house dealer were not provided. The button is moved one seat clockwise after each game and the card distribution and betting starts to the left of that position.

The Blinds:

Instead of using an ante where everyone puts money into the pot, Texas Holdem uses a small blind and a big blind where only two players contibute before the deal.

The Small Blind is the smaller bet (half the big blind) one position left of the dealer.

The Big Blind is the bigger bet two positions left of the dealer

Example:

For this example assume Texas Holdem with a double blind - $2 small blind and a $4 big blind.

The betting process goes like this:

1. Before each player is dealt two down cards, the player at the immediate left of the button, called the "Small Blind" is forced to bet $1 (half the minimum bet). Then the player to his left and two seats to the left of the button, called the"Big Blind", is forced to bet $2.

2. Each player is then dealt a two card hand. Then the player at the left of the big blind is first to act and he must either call the big blind's $2 bet, raise, or fold his hand. Continuing in turn clockwise, all the players around the table either call, raise or fold. When the betting gets back around to the small blind, he or she can fold and lose only the half minimum bet of $1 placed earlier, call the amount necessary to get up to the betting level or raise $2 if there is a raise left. The big blind is then the last to act before any cards are turned up in the middle. The blinds are played in the first round only

3. The dealer turns three cards up in the center of the table (The "Flop"). As always, the player at the left of the button is first to act. There are no more forced bets and the players can all check around if they want to. Bets right after the flop are at the $2 minimum bet level.

4. Now comes the "Turn" card with more betting that now goes to the $4 level

5. Finally the last, or "River" card is turned up. The last $4 betting round takes place. The players still in the contest reveal their hole cards and the highest hand wins the pot.