Texas Hold Em – Upping the Ante Online
As provocative as its title suggests, Texas Hold ‘Em poker conjures images of old west, high stake casinos, with stubble-cheeked cowboys huddled round cracked wooden tables, their eyes hidden under wide-brimmed hats, their hands expertly clutching 5 playing cards, fanned in front; dog-eared and stained. Eyes shift, dealers sweat, and spurs and revolvers glow steel-hot against faded leather chaps.
The image is classic, and represents a savage draw to a card game making waves throughout the online competitive gaming community. But the mastery of Texas Hold ‘Em poker is far from savage, and beating the dealer to claim top prize means undeniable respect from those who also endeavor to play casino Hold ‘Em poker.
As with all online table games, mastering the basics is tantamount to building a foundation with the vision to ultimately mastering the game and increasing overall winnings.
The most important function for online Hold ‘Em poker is the one deployed with the use of the short, yet apt command, Ante. At the start of the game, a default bet is used to indicate the standings, but only with an ante bet, can the game truly get underway.
The game is played with a virtual 52 card set, Jokers removed, and the object is to beat the dealer by obtaining the best possible hand.
After clicking the deal button, two cards are dealt both to the player and the dealer. The player will then reveal their cards and the dealer discards the top card of the virtual deck. The dealer then places the next three cards and the player decides whether to ‘fold’ or ‘call’, depending on the result.
Obviously, a ‘fold’ ends the game immediately but if a ‘call’ is made, the ante of the standings are automatically upped, and by 2- sometimes even 3x the original bet made.
The dealer then deals again, removing the top card once more and placing three cards down to join the original group. These three, however, remain face down until the dealer’s hand is shown, and the results are compared. The better hand wins.
There are three kinds of bets that online Hold ‘Em poker games generally allow:
The ante bet is the bet made at the start of the hand. Each game begins with a minimum credit standing in the account, but the game cannot start without the player making an ante bet.
The call bet can be made if the player decides to ‘call’ after the first part of the hand is revealed. The call bet, however, is then doubled or even tripled according to the casino and its betting and paying tables.
The bonus bet is the bet that can be tacked on to the existing bet at the start of the game, with the purpose of upping the steaks of the hand. A bonus bet cannot be set without making an ante bet before the hand commences.
That image of the cowboy in the bar, playing poker for stakes bordering life and death, may then be apt even in today’s online poker community. You could almost expect to log on through hinged slatted doors; you can almost feel the eyes on you as you make your way to that virtual table; you can almost feel the weight of the revolver at your hip. Go on, click that ‘Deal’ button, to play casino Texas Hold ‘Em poker online is to join the high-roller stakes of the real poker experience. You just have to ask yourself one question: Do you feel lucky¦?