Help me explain No-Limit Hold-Em to newbies

[prairieboy]

Starting 4/17 I’ll be hosting a home game. Most of my players have seen the game on TV and some have played a bit of holdem at home, but they’re not casino regulars and are generally pretty clueless on the mechanics of the game.

The game is: No-Limit holdem with a maximum buy in of $25 and a single $.50 blind.

I’m writing up the game rules to send to my players, but am having difficulty explaining blinds and rebuys to newbies in a format that is short (so they’ll actually read it) and simple (so they’ll actually understand it).

How would you explain it?

[Lottery Larry]

good luck! Would it be better to have a practice game for an hour first?

Or have a low-limit cash game so they can get used to blinds and the play of the game?

[LetsRock]

Larry is right - showing them will be much easier, but I always try to give as much pre-game info as I can. Here's a Hold'em How To:

The player to the immeidate left of the dealer is the small blind. He posts a blind bet of X before the cards are dealt. The player to the immediate left of the small blind is the big blind and posts a blind bet of XX before the cards are dealt.

The dealer deals 2 cards face down to all players. The player to the immediate left of the big blind (call him Player 3) now has the optin of A) calling the amount of the big blind, B) raising any amount he wishes (the raise has to be at least as much as XX) or folding. Play continues with subsequent players having the same options as player 3 - they can call the previous bet, raise or fold. When the play gets to the small blind, he has the option of completing the bet (adding enough chips to his blind bet to call), raising, or folding. The big blind has the option of checking (if there have been no raises), calling any raises, folding or raising.

When everyone has acted and all remaining active players have bet the same amount, 3 cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These cards (called the "flop")and the remaining 2 cards to come, are community cards - they are shared by all players and are considered to be part of everyones' hand. If everyone called the first bet, the small blind player begins the action, if some have folded, the play begins with the nearest player on the delaer's left. The options are bet XX or more, check or fold. If a bet is placed, the check option is no-longer an option, but raising is.

Action contiues until all active players have bet the same amount on the flop. One more card (the "turn") is now dealt face up next to the flop. Betting proceeds jsut as it did after the flop. After, this round is complete, one last card (the "river") is dealt face up on the board (the exposed cards ar called the board). Betting again proceeds as it did in the previous rounds.

After betting is complete, active players will show their hole cards - the player that can make the best 5 card poker hand using a combination of their 2 hole cards and the board. In the event of a tie, the pot is split.

If there is just one active player left (everybody folded to a bet), the last active player wins the pot without having to show his cards.

When Player A makes a bet that is more than Player B has, Player B can call "all-in" with his chips. PLayer B can now win the portion of the pot that he has contributed to and no more. For example, there is $10 in the pot. PLayer A bets $5, player B only has $2 but wants to call and player C calls Player A's full bet. A side pot is created with the bets that player B cannot meet. There would be $16 in the main pot ($10 plus $2 each from player's A, B and C) and a side pot of $6 ($3 each from Players A and C). If there is more betting rounds to come, players A and C add bets to the side pot. At showdown, Player A and C showdown for the side pot. Once that winner has been established, the winner now shows down with player B for the main pot. Player B can never win the amount that is in the side pot, but does have the rights to contend for the main pot.



This is as basic as it gets. You'll want to add any "house rules" into the mix (burning cards, buy-ins, c/r etc), but this is a pretty complete "how to".

I'd suggest, after you get everyone together, you sit down and play a real cheap tournament that will end quickly. (Buy-in for a dollar get 50 chips and play it out. It will take only a few hands for newbies to get the flow of things. Do yourself a favor, and consider all of the odd things that can happen (expposed cards, mulitple all-ins etc) and know how to handle them and have rules (in writing) for them. That way it doesn't look like you're just making stuff up when something odd happens (and it will).

Good luck and have fun.

[Slacker13]

Well LetsRock certainly gave you a great explanation to give them. I strongly suggest a practice or cheap tourney too. I have many friends who are constantly asking me how to play the game and for some reason the Blinds seem to confuse them the most no matter how well you explain it.

[LetsRock]

[ QUOTE ]
and for some reason the Blinds seem to confuse them the most no matter how well you explain it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember the first time I sat down in a holdem game (I cut my B&M teeth on 7-stud - antes and low card forced bet) and I was confused for about 2 minutes. Once you see how it works, it's real easy - but trying to explain it without a demo can be very dificult.

[prairieboy]

Thanks for the replies. I do plan to have a couple of example hands early for teaching purposes, but really feel the need to "lay down the law" before these guys get started. If I don't, sure as heck I'll get all kinds of pushback

(e.g. "these blinds are stupid, why not just ante?", "how about dealer's choice", "I don't like holdem, lets play stud instead", "what do you mean checkraise is allowed?" etc.)

And before I know it, we'll be playing $.50/1 Night Baseball with the rainout...

[LetsRock]

Well, you have to go with the flow. If you try to force a structure on them that they don't enjoy, then the game won't last long.

If they want to ante, that's fine - it serves the same purpose (juicing the pot) and if they want to play dealer's choice, there's nothing wrong with that.

I prefer casino style poker - same game for hours on end, but dealer's choice can be fun too.

IF the guys are initerested in getting "trained" for casino play, then just explain that "this is how they do it in casinos". If that's not what they want, then either loosen up and have some fun, or do some work to find players that WANT to play casino style.

I'd suggest doing a holdem tourney. That will give them an intorduction to what they see on TV. If they find it fun, then you'll have a little eaiser time converting them to a ring holdem game. If they don't like it, then you really know where you stand.

[cferejohn]

Do dealer's choice, but make each 'choice' last a full round (i.e. everyone deals a hand of whatever it is). We did this in our home game and by the end of the first night, all we were playing was hold 'em.

[BuyPokerChips]

You might have better luck converting them to Texas Hold'em if you make it really easy for them to learn, and get someone else (an authority) to explain it to them. That way, you can sort of play dumb and always use the authority figure's explanation to sort out any rule disputes. Otherwise it tends to wind up being my version of the rules versus your version, and the one who yells louder wins. And sometimes you just play something else. I'd recommend you look into Howard Lederer's video called "The Secrets of No Limit Hold'em". The first 30 minutes go over the very basic (a yawner almost), then it gets into some heavy strategy stuff. Anyways, you could prime the pump by making them watch the video, so you'll know they do in instead of assigning them reading.