Help

#!!1#Rules of the game#

#!1#General information#
#2#Introduction#
Contrary to "Draw Poker" each player is dealt out only two cards instead of five
when playing "Texas Hold`em Poker".
It is also not allowed to replace cards but in the course of the game there are on
the whole five Community Cards which are turned over - from these and both of his
covered Hold Cards the player then builds the best possible 5 cards combination.
The winner of the game is the player with the highest combination.

#3#Players and cards#

Cards:
This game is played with 52 cards (Poker card set), which are the cards 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the suits clubs, spades, hearts,
diamonds.

Players:
Up to 8 players can play in the single match, in a tournament it is possible to
play with up to 160 players.

The higher the number of players, the higher the number of points which can be
obtained in the high score ranking.

#4#The course of the game#

Preparation:
At the beginnings of the game two definite players have to bring a minimum amount,
the Big Blind and the Small Blind.
They take the according amount from their chips (or coins) and place them in the
middle of the table, the chips which lie there constitute the "Pot": Here all
stakes are placed.

The first betting round:

After both Hold Cards are dealt to each player, the first betting round begins:
Now the players can place their antes. Depending on the situation and the rules, a
player can either Call, Check or Bet, Raise or Fold.

'Flop':
After the first betting round, the first three Community Cards are flopped.

The second betting round:

Afterwards the second betting round takes place: Further antes can be placed.

'Turn':
Now the fourth Community Card is turned over.

The third betting round:

Now the third betting round takes place.

'River':
Finally the fifth Community Card is turned over.

The fourth betting round:

Now all five Community Cards are face up and the final betting round takes place.

'Showdown':
Then all players who are still in the game reveal their Hold Cards. The player who
manages to build the highest 5 Cards Combination (see "Combinations") from his two
Hold Cards and the five Community Cards (that is seven cards on the whole), wins
the Pot.

#!10#Betting rules#
#11#Big Blind and Small Blind#
At the beginnings one (randomly selected) player receives the Dealer Button, the
player on his left receives the Small Blind Button and the next left player the
Big Blind Button.
These buttons move around to the next player after each game (clockwise).

At the beginning of each game the player with the Big Blind Button has to place a
minimum amount in the amount of the Big Blind and the player with the Small Blind
Button has to place a minimum amount in the amount of the Small Blind.
The amount of these Blinds are defined in advance of the beginning of the game,
usually the Big Blind is around 20 � and the Small Blind around 10 �.
In the course of the game the Blinds are often upped, e.g. every ten games.

#12#Bettings#
It is possible to carry out the following actions for the bettings, however,
dependent on the situation only some of them are possible:

- Fold: A player can fold at any time if he considers the ante as to high.
However, he loses the antes which he placed in this game and also the chance to
win the Pot or some part of it.

- Call: If an amount was placed or raised, a player can call by placing the same
amount or raising his ante to the same amount.

- Check: If nobody has placed an ante yet, a player can remain in the game without
placing an ante by checking. Then it's the next player's turn. In the first round
only the Big Blind player can check - the other players have to call the amount of
the Big Blind or the Small Blind player has to raise his ante in order to remain
in the game.

- Bet: In the case that no ante was placed in a betting round, yet, a player can
place an amount-which has to be placed by the other players as well, or they have
to fold.

- Raise: In the case that an amount was placed, each player can not only call, but
has the opportunity to further raise the amount-which has to be placed by the
other players as well, or they have to fold.

- All In: A player places all the chips he has. In the case that a player doesn't
have enough chips to call, he can go All In with all the chips he still has (see
further information in "special cases").

#13#First betting round#

The player left to Big Blind begins. The possibilities for this player are:
- Call: Call the already placed ante (Big Blind) and place an ante in the same
amount (of the Big Blind)
- Bet/Raise: Place or raise an ante, that is, call first and raise afterwards to a
certain amount.
- Fold: to fold.
The players take turn in placing their antes. If a player raised the ante, the
other players have to place the same raised ante to call or further raise the
ante.
If nobody raised the ante in the first betting round, the Big Blind player (who
had the last turn) can check also, that is, he remains in the game without placing
another ante: He already placed one in the amount of the Big Blind.
If he however e.g. raises the ante, it's the other player's turn to either call
the raised ante, raise it or to fold.
The betting round goes on until all the players who haven't folded yet placed the
same ante.

#14#Further betting rounds#

The player with the Small Blind Button or, if he already folded, the next player
on the left (and so on) begins.
He now can
- Check: pass on
- Bet/Raise: place an ante or raise it
- Fold: fold.
However, if somebody else already placed/raised in the betting round, he can't
check but has to call or fold.
All betting rounds go on until all players who haven't folded yet, placed the same
ante.

According to the limit (No Limit, Pot Limit and Split Limit) there are special
directions concerning from and to which extend antes can be placed (see "Limits").

#15#Limits#
No Limit:
A player can set all chips he has at any time.

Pot Limit:
The ante can always only be raised to the amount which is in the pot at this time.

Split Limit:
Only a certain amount can be placed or respectively the ante can only be raised to
a certain amount.
This amount is the Big Blind in the first two betting rounds and twice the Big
Blind in the final two betting rounds.
According to betting round no raise is possible after the betting and the raise,
re-raise and cap.

#!20#Combinations#
#21#General information#
Each player builds the best possible 5 Cards Combination from his two Hold Cards
and the five Community Cards.

For these the following types of combination (descending order) are possible:

Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four Of A Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three Of
A Kind, Two Pairs, Pair, High Card.

Each of the combinations mentioned above beat the less valuable combination
mentioned after them (e.g. Two pairs always beats Pair and High Card)

In the case of the same type of combination, the higher combination wins.
Example: A Pair of Kings beats a Pair of Jacks seeing that King is higher than
Jack.

Card values (ascending order) are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King,

Ace.
Cards of different suit but with the same value are totally equal.
Example: A Pair of Kreuz Jack and Pik Jack has the same value as a Pair of Herz
Jack and Karo Jack.

For regulations concerning who wins in the case of identical combinations (e.g. if
two players have a triplet of kings), see Special Cases: Identical Combinations.

#22#Royal Flush#
A Royal Flush consists of five cards in the same suit in direct sequence of card
values 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.

Example: Kreuz 10, Kreuz Jack, Kreuz Queen, Kreuz King, Kreuz Ace.

A Royal Flush is the highest combination: A player with a Royal Flush wins.
In the case that more than one player has a Royal Flush, the Pot is shared.

#23#Straight Flush#
A Straight Flush consists of five cards in the same suit in direct sequence of
card values, which isn't a Royal Flush.
The sequence Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 is also valid.

Example:
Karo 6, Karo 7, Karo 8, Karo 9, Karo 10.
Karo Ace, Karo 2, Karo 3, Karo 4, Karo 5.

A Straight Flush is of a higher value than a Four Of A Kind and less valuable than
a Royal Flush.
In the case that more than one player has a Straight Flush, the player with the
highest top card in his Straight Flush wins.
Example: 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King beats 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, as King is higher than 7.
In the case of more than one Straight Flush with equal top card, the Pot is
shared.

#24#Four Of A Kind#
Four Of A Kind means four cards of the same card value.
Example: Kreuz King, Pik King, Herz King, Karo King.

Four Of A Kind is of a higher value than a Full House and less valuable than a
Straight Flush.
In the case that more that one player has a Four Of A Kind, the player with the
highest Four Of A Kind wins.
Example: Four Aces are of a higher value than four 7s.

If more than one player has a identical Four Of A Kind, the player with the
highest fifth card wins. If these cards also have the identical value, the Pot is
shared.

#25#Full House#
Full House means the combination of a triplet (three cards of the same card value)
and a Pair (two cards of the same card value).

Example: Kreuz Queen, Herz Queen, Karo Queen, Kreuz 7, Pik 7.

A Full House is of a higher value than a Flush and less valuable than a Four Of A
Kind.
In the case that more than one player has a Full House, the player with the
highest triplet wins, if the triplet is the same, the player with the highest Pair
wins.
In the case that the triplet and the Pair is identical, e.g. if two players have a
Full House of King triplets and a Pair of 10, the Pot is shared.

#26#Flush#
A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit which aren't a Straight Flush or a
Royal Flush.

Example:
Kreuz King, Kreuz 7, Kreuz 10, Kreuz 2, Kreuz 5.

A Flush is of a higher value than a Straight and less valuable than a Full House.
If more than one player has a Flush, it's not the suit which decides but the
player with highest card in his Flush.
If this card is identical, the player whose second highest card has the highest
value (and so on) wins.

Examples:
Karo Ace, Karo 9, Karo 7, Karo 4, Karo 2 beats
Pik King, Pik Queen, Pik 10, Pik 8, Pik 7 (because the highest card, Ace is higher
than a King.)
However, Karo Ace, Karo 9, Karo 7, Karo 4, Karo 2 loses against
Pik Ace, Pik Queen, Pik 10, Pik 8, Pik 7 (because the highest card Ace is equal in
both Flushes, but the second highest card 9 is lower than a queen).

In the case that more than one player have Flushes with identical card values, the
Pot is shared.

#27#Straight#
Straight means five cards with direct sequential card values which aren't in the
same suit.
The sequence Ace, 2,3,4,5 is also valid.

Examples:
Karo 6, Kreuz 7, Herz 8, Kreuz 9, Pik 10.
Herz Ace, Karo 2, Karo 3, Kreuz 4, Karo 5.

A Straight is of a higher value than a Three Of A Kind and less valuable than a
Flush.
I the case that more than one player has a Straight, the player with the highest
top card in his Straight wins.
Example: 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King beats 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, because King is higher than
7.
In the case of Straights with identical card values (e.g. 6 Pik, 7 Kreuz,..and 6
Karo, 7 Herz,..), the Pot is shared.

#28#Three Of A Kind#
Three Of A Kind means three cards of the same card value.

Example:
Queen Herz, Queen Pik, Queen Karo.

A Three Of A Kind is of a higher value than Two Pairs and less valuable than a
Straight.
In the case that more than one player has a Three Of A Kind, the player with the
highest Three Of A Kind wins, e.g. three Kings beat 5s.
If more than one player have an identical Three Of A Kind, the player with the
highest of the left two cards wins.
In the case that e.g. two player have a Three Of A Kind with Kings and one of them
has an Ace and a 2 as the fourth and fifth card while the other player has a 4 and
a 6, the player with the Ace wins.
If the highest of the two spare cards is equal, the player with the second highest
card with the higher value wins. If these are equal as well, the Pot is shared.

#29#Two Pairs#
Two Pairs means the combination of two pairs (two cards of the same card value).

Example:
Herz Queen, Pik Queen, Kreuz 7, Karo 7.

Two Pairs are of a higher value than a Pair and less valuable than Three Of A
Kind.
In the case that more than one player has Two Pairs, the player with the highest
pair wins. If the highest pair is equal, the player with the highest second pair
wins.
In the case that both Pairs are equal, the player with the highest fifth card
wins. If this card is equal as well, the Pot is shared.

#30#Pair#
Pair means two cards of the same card value.

Example:
Herz Queen, Pik Queen.

A Pair is the combination of the lowest value: It's of a higher value than 5 cards
with no combination at all, it is true, but less valuable than all the other
combinations (Two Pairs, Three Of A Kind, etc.). If more than one player has a
Pair, the player with the higher Pair wins.
Example: A Pair of Kings beats a Pair of 4s.

In the case that more than one player has an identical Pair, the player with the
highest card among the three spare cards wins.
If this card is identical (e.g. if both player have an Ace as the highest card),
the second highest counts, if this card is of the same value as well, the third
highest card counts.

#31#High Card#
High Card (Highest card): A 5 Cards Combination which doesn't consist of a
combination (such as a Pair or another combination), loses against other
combinations (Pair and higher).
In the case that all players only have "High Card Combinations", the player with
the highest card wins: E.g. if a player has an Ace while the other player has a
Queen, the player with the Ace wins. Assuming the other player had an Ace as well
the player with the higher second highest card would win. If this card is of the
same value as well, the third highest card would count, and so forth.
Cards of different suit but of the same value count as equal.

#!40#Special cases#

#41#Identical combinations#
In the case that more than one player has an identical combination (e.g. Pair of
kings), the player with the highest card in his best possible 5 Cards Combination
wins.

Example: If more than one player has an identical Four Of A Kind, the player with
the highest fifth card wins the Pot. If these cards have an identical value as
well, the Pot is shared.
If all five cards are of the same value, more than one player can win at the same
time and the Pot is shared among them equally, e.g. in the case of two players
each player receives half of the Pot.

This case can occur if for example, more than one player has Hold Cards of the
same value (e.g. one of them has Ace Kreuz, 3 Kreuz and the other one has Ace Pik,
3 Herz as Hold Cards).

Examples and explanations concerning the types of combinations (Pair, Three Of A

Kind,...) are given in the according chapters.

#43#All In and Side Pot#

If a player places all his chips he is All In or goes All In.

In the case that a player doesn't have enough chips left to Call an amount, he can
nevertheless remain in the game by going All In.
He then places all the chips he still possesses. If he wins however, he
consequently can only win the amount he placed himself from the antes of the other
players.
The Pot is shared: The player who is All In plays with the other players for the
Main Pot while the others can play for further amounts in a Side Pot.
The Side Pot is won by the player with the highest 5 Cards Combination who paid in
the Side Pot - even though the All In player had a higher combination and
therefore won the Main Pot.
In the case that more than one player goes All In several Side Pots can be formed.