The hugely popular game Texas Holdem poker is played using a standard deck of 52 cards and between 2 to 10 players. The aim of the game is to create the best poker hand you can by using the available cards. The five communal cards can be combined with either one or two of your personal cards to form highest five card poker hand. Sometimes the five cards community cards might make up the best hand, in this case any players who are still left in the game automaticly tie and share the pot. There are several betting options available to you when playing Texas Holdem poker, these are, check, fold, raise and call.
Betting:
• Check - If there are no bets in the pot then you may check. I.e., check the next card or check to see what the next player wants to do.
• Fold – if you fold your cards this means you stop all further betting and give your cards back to the dealer then sit the rest of the hand out.
• Call - match the amount of money agreed by everyone else and see the next card or call for your opponent’s cards to be shown.
• Raise - raise the steaks even more, challenging your opponents to either fold, call or raise it even more back at you. Some games have limits on how much you can bet, in “no limit” holdem players can choose to bet everything they own. This is known as going “all in”.
The game play:
The basic play of a poker hand is as follows:
• The two players to the left of the dealer place small and big blind bets.
• Every player gets dealt 2 personal cards, these are known as the "pocket cards".
• The first round of betting is started.
• Next 3 communal cards are dealt out face up onto the table, this is called "the flop"
• There is a second round of betting.
• A fourth community card is dealt out on to the table face up, this is called "the turn".
• Then there is a third round of betting.
• The last card is then dealt out face up, this is card is known as "the river card".
• The last betting round starts, this is known as "the showdown".
• The dealer position moved a place to the left and then everything starts again.
• Check - If there are no bets in the pot then you may check. I.e., check the next card or check to see what the next player wants to do. 
