This is how all Texas Hold’em games are played, with the shuffle, the deal, and the blind. The shuffle, the deal, and the blind are the steps that start the game. First, the dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck. If the game is in a casino, the dealer never plays. Then, the dealer deals. A round disc, also known as a dealer button, moves with each hand, from player to player, in clockwise motion. The button indicates which player gets to be the dealer if, as the game progresses, deals are advanced from player to player.
In most Texas Hold’em games, the two players to the left of the dealer puts a predetermined sum into the pot. This takes place before any of the cards are dealt, thereby ensuring that on every hand, there is always something to play for. This practice, which is an essential part of the shuffle, the deal, and the blind, is called “posting the blinds.” Frequently, it is the first blind who puts up half of the minimum bet and the second blind who puts up the full minimum bet. The first blind is the player sitting on the dealer’s left. Now, on with the dealing. Each player is dealt two cards and these are placed face down. These two cards are called “hole cards.” Then, the betting begins. A round of betting starts with the player sitting on the left of the first two who placed the blinds. Players have the right to call, raise, or fold when its their turn to bet. From here on out, the game progresses to the flop, the fourth and fifth street, and then, the final betting. Isn’t it amazing how beautiful and challenging this game is when all it takes to get started is the shuffle, the deal, and the blind?
