Texas Hold’em has become the most popular poker game played at casinos both offline and online. If you are new to the game you may be wondering how to deal Texas Hold’em. This article will help explain.

Dealing Texas Hold’em

To deal Texas Hold'em, each person receives two cards which serve as their personal hand, these cards are called the hole cards or pocket cards. Now betting can begin with the third player to the left of the dealer.

When the first Texas Hold’em betting round is completed, the dealer deals three board cards face up at the center of the table. This is called the flop and is used by the Texas Hold’em players to make up their hand. At this point, players have the options to bet, raise, check, or fold, depending on the odds they have of making a Texas Hold’em poker hand.

When the flop is turned, the second Texas Hold’em betting round ensues, beginning with the player immediately to the left of the dealer. (In Texas Hold’em, the dealer is determined by who is holding the dealer button. This button is then moved in a clockwise manner to ensure that every one gets the opportunity to deal the cards.)

After the second Texas Hold’em betting round, the dealer discards the top card in the deck. In Texas Hold’em, this is called “burning” the card to avoid cheating. After the card is burned, the dealer now reveals the fourth shared or community card called the turn. Another betting round begins and when it is completed, the dealer again burns another card and flips over the fifth card. In Texas Hold’em, this card is called the river.

So now that all the community cards are revealed, the players can now make up the best combination from the seven cards they can see ( 2 pocket cards and 5 community cards). A final betting round begins, after which, the showdown occurs. In Texas Hold’em, the showdown is when all the players reveal their hands. The one with the best hand wins the game.

Dealing Irregularities in Texas Hold’em

Sometimes, irregularities may occur when dealing the cards in Texas Hold’em. When this happens, there are some specific guidelines which may help you.

If the first pocket card dealt is exposed, this is called a misdeal in Texas Hold’em. The dealer retrieves the exposed card, reshuffle, and recut the deck. When any other pocket card is exposed due to an error on the part of the dealer, the Texas Hold’em deal continues with the exposed card used as the first “burn” card. If more than one pocket card is exposed, this is considered a misdeal and a redeal must occur.

In Texas Hold’em, if there are too many cards contained in a flop, a redeal must occur. A redeal is also called for when the flop is prematurely exposed before the Texas Hold’em betting round is completed. During the redeal, the flopped cards are mixed with the cards left in the deck while the burn card remains on the table. After shuffling the cards, the dealer cuts the deck and deals a new flop without burning a card.

The rules of Texas Hold’em are fairly easy and straightforward. The strategy can be complex however. The best way to learn the game is to jump right in and play.