How to Play Texas Hold'em Poker Using Bitcoin
You can play many forms of poker in an online casino, but if you decide to try your hand at Texas Hold 'em, it's better to know the rules and the best strategies.
Read on for a deeper insight into Texas Hold ‘em, its rules, strategies, and how to play it online with Bitcoin.
Table of Contents
- What Is Texas Hold’em?
- 3 Rules of Texas Hold’em You Should Know
- 3 Strategies to Use When Playing Texas Hold’em
- How to Play Texas Hold’em Using Bitcoin
What Is Texas Hold’em?
Texas hold'em is one of the most popular poker variants played in physical as well as online casinos.
During gameplay, players are dealt two cards, known as the hole cards. Both cards are dealt face down. They are then given an additional five cards each. These cards are known as community cards and are also dealt face down.
The five community cards are not dealt altogether. Instead, players receive the cards in three stages. The first stage is known as the flop, where the players are dealt three cards. The second and third stages are the turn and the river, where they receive one card in each stage.
In total, each player gets seven cards. The first two cards known as the hole cards, the three cards from the flop, one from the turn, and one from the river. Each player strives to get the best five-card poker hand from their seven cards.
Bets on the game are usually placed before dealing the flop and after every subsequent card deal. The players have five betting options which include:
- Check - this option is available until the first bet in a betting round ends. They can also choose not to check and reserve their right to bet later in that round.
- Call - Here, a player can match another player’s bet or choose to raise
- Raise - A player increases the size of the stake within the same round
- Fold - A player withdraws from the hand and foregoes the bets already made
- All-in - Players go all-in if they do not have enough chips. They play all their remaining chips. However, they can only win the number of chips in their pot before placing the all-in bet.
3 Rules of Texas Hold’em You Should Know
Like most poker card games, there are specific Texas Hold’em table rules players must follow. Here are some of the basic rules you should know.
The Betting Structures
Texas Hold ‘em is played with blind bets, usually a small and big blind. The blind bets are usually forced bets required for players to start the action. They are known as blinds, and demand that two players make their stake before the round begins. The small blind is made first by the player to the left of the dealer, while the player to the left of the small blind makes the big blind.
The small blind bet amount is half the big blind, and the minimum bet determines the big blind. Antes, forced bets by all players, are used in later stages of the game.
Ties and Kickers
If more than one player has the best five-card hand, they split the pot. Any odd chips go to the player to the left of the dealer. If players' best hands are less than five cards, the highest card in their hole that isn't in their best hand is the kicker. The player with the highest value on the kicker wins the pot.
The Showdown
If one player bets and the rest fold, that player wins the pot and does not have to show his hole cards. However, if there are two or more players remaining, the showdown takes place. In the showdown, the remaining players play the best poker hand they can make from the seven cards. They can make their winning five-card hand with any or none of the hole cards.
A player is playing the board if their winning five-card hand is made up entirely of community cards. If more than one player has the best hand, they split the pot equally. Any extra chips go to the first players after the button, in a clockwise order.
3 Strategies to Use When Playing Texas Hold’em
Now that you know how to play Texas Hold ‘em and some of the most important rules, here are a few strategies you can use at the Texas hold'em table.
Know Your Opening Hands
The most basic strategy to remember is knowing your starting hands. In Texas hold'em, the hole cards are your starting hands and are critical in determining your best possible hand.
Identifying the strong enough starting hands to place a bet will help you avoid a lot of bad beats or losing your bankroll fast. Check if the hand you choose is worth bluffing or whether it will still perform beyond the flop.
Size Your Bets Appropriately
When you bet or raise, consider making a standard raise.
Unusual raises may not work out well for you, and players will have a hard time deciding if your bet makes no sense to them. It is probably better to make a small bet and have to bet again than to burn a hole in your pocket by risking a big bet.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fold
Most players hold on to a weak hand to test the waters after putting money in on the flop, turn or river. But in any game, it's better to fold an unfavorable hand than to play it and lose your chips.
If you have a strong hand in the pre-flop betting, you can fold on the flop because it's probably useless. Another player will probably have a better hand on the flop, so don't let your pre-flop win make you overconfident.
How to Play Texas Hold’em Using Bitcoin
Now that you have a grasp of Texas hold ‘em poker, here is a quick guide on playing it using Bitcoin.
1. First, register your account with 1xBit. Simply visit https://1xbit.com/ and input your email, and create a password. If you have a promo code, insert it and hit ‘Register.’
2. Once your account is set up, log in to fund it with BTC by clicking the green ‘Deposit’ icon at the top of your homepage.
3. Once you click on the deposit icon, you will see a list of crypto coins. Select Bitcoin and confirm to obtain your 1xBit Bitcoin wallet address. You will also see a QR code that you can still use to deposit.
4. Copy the address or scan the code and deposit the amount of BTC you want.
5. Head back to the homepage and click on ‘Live Casino.’
6. Use the search box to find the available Texas hold'em poker tables.
7. Click on the game you’d like, wait for it to load, and start playing.
Texas hold'em is fun to play, but 1xBit takes it a notch higher by allowing you to enjoy the gameplay live online and win Bitcoin.
Register a free 1xBit account today and start playing Texas hold’em with Bitcoin.