Texas Holdem History – The Game And Its Background

Platincasino UK takes an in depth look at the Poker Texas Holdem Background going back to the very beginning. As we know, Texas Holdem is one of the most popular alternatives of the card game Poker. What is Texas Holdem all about?

The game starts when the button (dealer) deals out two cards to each player also known as the hole cards. The cards are dealt face down to each player and in addition five more cards are dealt face up. These five cards are dealt face up and they are called the community cards that are revealed in three different stages. In the first stage call the ‘flop’ the first three cards are dealt, then comes the ‘turn’ where one more card is dealt, and last but not least, the final card is revealed and this one is called the ‘river’.

Out of the seven cards now available to each player (their own hole card and the community cards), they all need to select the best five card hand. All players can now choose to make a series of actions. Amongst of which they can call, raise, check or fold. In the process of all this, after the flop and between each subsequent deal, players have the option to place bets.

The winner of the game is determined by which player ends up with the best five card hand on the table, who in return rakes up all the money in the pot. In certain situations, there can be two players who end the game with the same card value in hand and therefore this calls for what is called a ‘split pot’ where all the money in the pot is split equally between the last two remaining players.

Where Texas Hold’em All Started | The History

If we are going to delve into the Poker Texas Holdem Background, let’s take it a step further into the past and get to know a bit more about how Texas Holdem came about, and where and when it actually started. Although we know that Texas Holdem is one of the most popular choices in card games nowadays, this is not a trait that is embedded in history, but it has grown bigger year on year. Before Poker – mainly Texas Holdem – started getting popular in the 1960s, there were other games that were stealing the show at the time, such as draw and stud and these all took place in what were known as the card rooms of Las Vegas and beyond.

There is not much knowledge about the exact date and period when the Texas Holdem Poker game was invented but if one does a little digging about the Texas State Legislature, it can be found that it had officially named Robstown, Texas as the place where this ever-growing popular game was born. And as one would assume, this is where the name Texas Holdem Poker originated.

Since the beginning of this new game was introduced, at the time it was never really known to be a mainstream game, but rather a game that was normally held in private, dangerous places, with little notice whatsoever, and obviously attended by unethical people from all walks of life who wanted to gamble. Given the atmosphere and feeling around such places, gamblers used to normally travel in packs rather than alone. There was a legend that went by the name of Doyle Brunson who once said that the task in such games weas not to win the money, but to find a way of leaving town with the money still in your possession.

Brunson who at the time was part of a travelling group of gamblers took the game to Las Vegas. Together with other members of the travel group, they all started to play the game regularly in Las Vegas around the time of 1967.

We dug a little deeper into the Poker Texas Holdem background and found out that this went on for years where anyone wanting to try out a hand or two at this game headed straight for the Golden Nugget Casino that was situated in Downtown Las Vegas. At the time it was the only official venue that was offering the game of Texas Holdem. Since its location and set up were nothing to write home about, the Golden Nugget Casino had problems attracting the richer Poker players and also forced the professional players to find somewhere else to go and spread their Poker chips.

It was not long before the higher tiered players found somewhere to lay down some felt, and this was nowhere other than the Dunes Hotel and Casino. It served its purpose until it was demolished in 1993 and replaced by the very popular Bellagio that now stands in its place. So, if you ever happen to be strolling on the famous Las Vegas Strip, don’t forget to go and play a few hands with all these tips from Platincasino UK.

Popularity Of Holdem – Future Predictions

One common denominator in what makes Texas Holdem continue to grow at rapid paces is because many players, even without a Poker Texas Holdem background, are automatically drawn into this variant sometimes not even knowing that there are other types of Poker games that can be played. This happens because of the large popularity this game has attracted over the years even making it onto mainstream TV as we will discuss further down in our review.

There is another fundamental reason why so many players become attracted to this game – because the basic rules and understanding are pretty easy to grasp. Below we will go through a few of the things beginners need to know before attempting to start playing and enjoying the game. There was an old saying that went something like this, “Texas Holdem takes five minutes to learn but a lifetime to master” so why don’t we get started on a few of the basics.

  • Action on the table starts when the players sitting in the big blind and small blind seats each place a small bet to initiate the action on the table.
  • The button (dealer) then deals out two-hole cards to every player on the table.
  • Players are then asked to go through a round of preflop betting, meaning they can place a bet based solely on the two-hole cards that they are holding in their hand.
  • The button(dealer) then deals the first three community cards known as the flop and the players then go through another round of betting, now also taking into consideration the three revealed cards that might start giving their hand more value at that point.
  • Then comes the turn which is the fourth community card that is dealt by the button(dealer) followed by another betting round.
  • The fifth and final community card is now revealed, and this is called the ‘river’. In many cases, it also makes you cry one.
  • A final betting round comes next and the remaining players in the game show their cards to determine the winner.

A lot of players enter the game as a hobby or something to do on the weekend, or perhaps online when they are bored at home, but only a few try to master the game in the early days. All they care about is the fact that they can master the basics of this game in just a few minutes and then pick up tips and tricks as they go along. As they say, you need to be in it to win it, and you have to start from somewhere.

Earlier on we mentioned that many players who get into the Texas Holdem sphere are not aware about other Poker card variants, but although this is not always the case, it continues to solidify the argument that Texas Holdem is by far Poker’s biggest brand name.

If you look back at some of this game’s greatest wins, you will definitely read about the time a small-time accountant with an alias of Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Knocking out a whole list of 839 players, who won the grand total top prize of $2.5 million.

The guy soon made headlines and became a small-time celebrity and a big Poker celebrity. After hearing about his story, many people took to the game of Texas Holdem to also try their luck and from then on, the name in Texas Holdem has continued to grow exponentially.

This trend is still very popular today and Texas Holdem still remains the go-to card game and topping the list of the most preferred Poker variation above all.

Nowadays, Texas Holdem is not only popular in brick-and-mortar casinos or online, but it is also popular on TV. At first this was not the case, but when Poker tournaments started to be broadcast with hole cams allowing viewers to see the two-hole cards of each player, viewership skyrocketed.

After the introduction of these hole cams Texas Holdem on TV became mush more popular and enjoyable to watch on TV as it gives the viewers a chance to understand players thoughts better and how they deal with poor hands and stronger ones. Poker on TV has boosted drastically the success of many Poker shows over the years.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tournaments

Our Poker Texas Holdem background also sheds some light on tournaments so here is what you really need to know. When participating in a tournament, players are given the option to buy-into the tournament only in the first few levels, right up until it is time for the late registration period to close. All players will start the game with the same set of stack chips. All of the tournament proceeds are collected into one total grand prize pool paid out to all the players finishing in positions that come with a cash prize. The higher you rank, the better the outcome.

A tournament that starts when all the seats at the particular table have been occupied is called a “Sit-and-Go” (SnG).

Then there is what we call a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT). These sorts of tournaments spread out tournament players over multiple tables usually holding around 10 players on each, and as players get eliminated gradually, the number of tables decreases. The tournament ends when one player has won all of the tournament chips and is declared the winner.

Online Poker Vs Traditional Poker – Playing Online

 

Whether you’re playing online Poker or traditional Poker, the rules are the same but for some players, playing online offers other advantages. Playing Poker online usually means the game goes at a faster pace and you can even play multiple tables (if the casino allows it), meaning you can play more hands in a period of time than you would when playing in a traditional casino.

When you play Poker at Platincasino UK, you get the best of both worlds in one with our portfolio of Live Poker games featuring professional, live dealers. You can choose live Texas Holdem Poker among other popular variations, all powered by the industry-leaders in the world of live casino: Evolution Gaming.

At Platincasino UK, you can select a table with low or high limits as well as the right game for your current skill level. Whatever you pick, playing live Poker at Platincasino UK offers the ultimate real-time Poker experience with slick graphics, high-quality video, and outstanding reliability.

 

Poker Texas Holdem Background – FAQ

How many people do you need to play Texas Holdem?

A game of Texas Holdem Poker can be played from anywhere between two players up to a maximum of 10. Many casinos nowadays keep the number of players at a maximum of six per table for better control and a more enjoyable gameplay experience.

What makes Texas Holdem so popular?

The basic rules and understanding of the game are very easy to understand therefore it increases the interest of people wanting to try it out.

Is Texas Holdem easy to learn?

You can learn the basics of Texas Holdem in a matter of hours, but don’t be fooled because it may last a lifetime to properly master it.

Where was Texas Holdem invented?

Texas Holdem was invented in Robstown, Texas.

What is the fourth card called in Poker?

The fourth card is called the ‘Turn’.