Texas Hold Em

Summary

This page helps you memorize basic Texas Hold 'em rules, and the unofficial names of hands.

Basic Rules

Here are the basic things to remember, regarding the rules of Texas hold 'em.

I

Question	Answer
Cards dealt to each person?	2
Cards displayed on table?	5
First 3 cards displayed	flop
4th card displayed	turn (aka 4th street)
5th card displayed	river (aka 5th street)
	memorize

II

Question	Answer
What is a blind?	chips 2 people left of dealer must pay before deal
Who has the small blind?	person left of dealer
Who has the big blind?	person 2 seats left of dealer
How much is the big blind?	twice the small blind
Who plays first?	- person left of dealer - or, if before the flop, person left of big blind
	memorize

Game Play

Here are some important points regarding game play.

I

Question	Answer
Heads-up	when only 2 people remain (head-to-head)
When only 2 people remain, the dealer is...	small blind
Minimum bet/raise	amount of big blind
What does tapping on the table mean?	check
Number of possible starting hands	169 (13 x 13)
	memorize

II

Question	Answer
Check	you don't bet (no one else has bet)
Call	you pay enough to meet the bet (or raise)
Raise	you bet more (someone else has bet already)
Bet	you put down some chips (no one else has bet)
Fold	you throw in your cards (someone else has bet)
	memorize

Hand Nick Names

Here are the nick names of the more well-known hands.

I

Hand	Names
A A	- Bullets - Rockets
K K	- King Kong - Ace Magnets
Q Q	- Siegfried & Roy - The Hilton Sisters
2 2	- Ducks (2's resemble ducks) - Swans
A K	- Big Slick - Anna Kournikova (nice to look at, seldom wins)
A Q	- Big Chick - Mrs Slick
A 8	- Dead Man's Hand (Wild Bill Hickock had a similar hand when he was shot)
	memorize

II

Hand	Names
A J	- Ajax - Apple Jacks
A 2	- Little Slick - Duck Hunter (bullet and duck)
K Q	- Marriage - Royalty
8 8	- Snowmen
K 9	- Canine - Dog
9 5	- Dolly Parton (9 to 5)
3 3	- Crabs (3's resemble crabs) - Crab legs - Larry Bird
	memorize

More Hands

I

Hand	Names
A 10	- Bookends (possibility of a 10 J Q K A straight) - Corners
K 3	- King Crab
Q J	- Oedipus - Maverick
Q 9	- Quinine - The Tonic
J J	- Fishhooks
J 5	- Jackson Five - Motown
10 10	- Dimes - Boxcars
	memorize

II

Hand	Names
10 4	- Good Buddy - Over and Out
10 2	- Doyle Brunson
9 9	- Wayne Gretzky - Phil Hellmuth
7 2	- Beer Hand (bad hand, good time to get a drink) - The Hammer
5 5	- Speed Limit - Nickels
5 2	- Bomber
3 2	- Michael Jordan(he wore the number 23)
	memorize

More Hands 2

Hand	Names
K J	- Kojack
7 7	- Hockey Sticks
6 6	- Route 66
4 4	- Sailboats - Magnum
J 4	- Flat Tires(what's a jack for?)
5 7	- Ketchup
	memorize

Approximate Odds Pre-flop

A few quick tricks to calculate approximate odds in a showdown. A showdown means that there is no more betting and hence, no chance of folding - only the probability that your hand wins at the end.

 

Question	Answer
two under-cards vs two over-cards	33% vs 67%
any two over-cards vs a pair	50% vs 50%
staggered cards	45% vs 55%
any one over-card vs a pair	25% vs 75%
pair vs any higher pair	20% vs 80%
if your cards are suited	add ~5%
	memorize

 

Question	Answer
7 2 vs AK	33% vs 67%
2 2 vs AK	50% vs 50%
9 J vs T Q	45% vs 55%
68 vs 77	25% vs 75%
KK vs AA	20% vs 80%
A7 vs AK	25% vs 75%
	memorize

Approximate Odds Post-Flop Given #outs

A couple of tricks for approximate odds that you will win given #outs. Two formulas if you are on the flop or turn; personally, I don't bother to remember the -4 or the +2, it is approximate anyway.

 

Question	Answer
% from flop	(#outs x 4 ) - 4
% from turn	(#outs x 2 ) + 2
a flush draw has	9 outs
an open-ended straight draw has	8 outs
a gut-shot straight draw has	4 outs
a straight draw and flush draw have	15 outs
two over cards have	6 outs
	memorize

See also

the question has come up at Chase whether we should continue with it or go back to - Texas Hold Em Odds - odds for the flop and turn