A Beginner's Guide to No Limit Texas Holdem Rules

Most beginners prefer to play Limit Texas Holdem rather than No Limit. A no limit poker game - whether Texas Holdem or another - can be intimidating to a novice. Anyone can raise high or go all-in anytime. But in truth a no limit game isn't that bad. In fact, it can make the work easier for you since bluffs work better and it's easier to make someone fold. If you've never played poker before, here is how No Limit Texas Holdem works.

Players and Blinds

No Limit Holdem can be played by 2-10 players. They sit at an oval or circular table. A disc known as a button is placed on the table in front of one of the players. This player becomes the nominal dealer and is said to be "on the button." This is important because all other table positions are relative to this one.

The player on the dealer's immediate left is called the small blind. In turn, the player on the small blind's left is the big blind. These players must post a mandatory minimum and maximum bet respectively. Without a mandatory bet, people would just sit around for the game to finish without betting anything. The blinds guarantee there is money to be played for.

Dealing the Cards

After blinds have been posted, the dealer (in a casino, this is not the one on the button, but a real dealer) will deal two cards face down to all the players. The players look discreetly at their cards.

Now betting starts from left to right. The first to decide is the one to the left of the big blind. This player can fold (drop out of the game, until they are dealt new cards in the next game), call or make the same bet as the big blind, or raise to any amount they can afford. Everyone does the same thing until all players have either placed the same bets or folded.

Three cards are dealt face up. These are shared by all players and called the "flop."

Another betting takes place. This time no mandatory bets are made. So the first player - the one on the small blind - can check or pass the decision to the next player on their left. If everyone checks instead of betting or folding, the game moves to the next round.

A fourth card is dealt face up. Players bet again from left to right (assuming there are still more than one player left). A fifth card is shown and then a final betting round.

If more than one player hasn't folded, it is now time to see who has the best poker hand. This is the showdown. The dealer compares the hands and the player with the highest-ranking hand wins all the money, called the pot.

In a no limit game, you can bet as much as you can afford at any point in the game after the blinds are posted. This makes the game more exciting than a limit game, especially in tournament poker. The World Series of Poker main event is No Limit Texas Holdem.