HIGH
Texas Hold'em is a board game that uses a flat disc called
a dealer button to determine who receives their cards first and where the action starts
for each betting round. One or more "blind" bets are used to simulate action on the
first betting round. The player closest to the left of the dealer button begins by posting
a "small blind," which is approximately half of the minimum bet for the first betting round.
The player seated to the left of the "small blind" posts a "large blind," which is equal to
the minimum bet for the first betting round. A "blind" bet counts as all or part of a
player's wager, and must be "posted" before you receive your cards, unless a specific game
or situation dictates otherwise. Check and raise is allowed, with a maximum of three raises
per betting round unless the action becomes "heads-up" (only two active players remaining)
before a third raise is made, in which case there is no limit to the number of raises allowed
between the two players. Players are dealt two down cards followed by a betting round.
Action starts with the person to the left of the player who posted the "large blind."
This betting round is followed by three cards being dealt face-up, simultaneously, in the
center of the table. This is referred to as the "flop" and is followed by a betting round
that starts with the first active player seated the left of the button. Two additional cards
are then turned face-up in the middle of the table, one at a time, with each followed by a
betting round. In determining the value of your hand, you may use any combination of your
two down cards and the five board cards to create a five-card Poker hand, up to and including
all five board cards. The standard ranking of hands applies.
HIGH-LOW
A variation of Texas Hold'em where both the "High" (best) hand splits the pot with the
"Low" (worst) hand. A player can win both the high and low hands, thereby winning the entire pot.
Players do not "declare" whether they are playing for high, low or both. The winners are
determined by reading the value for high hands in accordance with basic Texas Hold'em.
In determining the value of "Low" hands, straights and flushes do not count against the value of
the hand. Therefore, the best low hand is 5-4-3-2-A, (referred to as a "bicycle" or a "wheel").
Players may use a different combination of cards to make their best high hand and best low hand.
