Texas Holdem poker continues to be one of the most popular variations on standard draw poker in the United States. Each year, millions of viewers tune in to watch The World Series of Poker on ESPN, in which the world's top Holdem players compete for two-and-a-half-million in cash. More than 800 players sign up each year for this winner-takes-all showdown.
Texas Holdem Poker is similar to standard draw poker in its hierarchy of hands. A full house beats a flush, which tops a straight, which bests three of a kind, and so on down to the high card. Those who have played draw poker before typically have little problem adjusting to Texas Holdem.
Where Texas Holdem Poker Differs
The difference in Holdem, as it's called, is that players share what are known as "table cards." Five such cards is the norm, and each player must cobble together his or her best hand using three of those table cards. The other two cards used in rounding out the hand are the two that each player has been dealt, both of which are face down (though obviously viewable to the player).
Betting takes place after each player is dealt his or her two cards, with subsequent rounds after three more cards are flipped, then the remaining two, one by one. With up to four betting rounds per hand, it's easy for a single player to be wiped out quickly, a mistake more than a few novice Holdem players have made. Like other online poker games, Holdem is readily available on the Internet. The average online casino hosts at least two or three poker variations, of which Holdem is the most common.