Poker

There's nothing like a rousing 'bout of Texas Hold'em Poker. The game has been around for years, but it's gotten immensely popular in the last few. The concept, which may seem complicated at first, is actually quite simple. Each player is dealt two cards. Five cards are then placed in the center of the table. out of these five community cards and your two, you have to make the best 5-card hand that you can.

The confusing part of Texas Hold'em comes from the betting. This took me the longest to learn and I'm still not entirely sure how it works. I'll try my best to clear it up and get you ready to throw down with the champions of poker.

Deal'em

After the starting bets are placed, the cards are dealt and the first betting round begins. This is after every player has been dealt two cards - referred to as the hole or pocket cards - but none have yet been placed on the table. After everyone is done betting, three cards are placed face up on the table. This is known as the flop. Each player now has his pocket cards, as well as the three community cards. A round of betting ensues, and then a fourth card is laid face up, which is the turn card. After another round of betting, the fifth and final card is laid face up, which is known as the river card. After the river, a final round of betting takes place.

The terms - flop, turn, and river - are really necessary, as long as you understand the basic rules of the game. It will seem somewhat overwhelming at first, but that quickly goes away, and you'll have a fantastic time playing a classic game.

Game Modes

There are three different modes to play. The main mode of play is simply called Cash and it just throws you into a standard game. Once you're in, you can buy more chips from the bank whenever you lose, so this mode is just for fun and practice.

Tournament mode is where the real serious players play. Once someone runs out of chips in a tournament, they're out for good. The objective is simply to take everyone else's money and be the last person in the game. With no option to buy back in, this is where to go to really test yourself and see what you're made of.

Scenario mode is a pretty neat mode for those looking for something a little different. Scenario is exactly what it sounds like - it thrusts you into the middle of an already in-progress game with set amount of chips and a certain goal in mind. Some scenarios put you at the final tournament with the smallest stack of chips out of everyone at the table and you have to make a huge comeback in order to win the thing. It's not a drastically different game mode, but it does mix it up a bit.

It's Poker, Plain and Simple

Texas Hold'em Poker is actually what you would expect. It's a solid effort and any existing fans will eat it up. If you've never played the game before, this might be a nice place to practice, as it offers a pretty extensive help feature.