Ultimate Texas Holdem Poker

Evolution Gaming’s Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em is an exciting version of the classic poker game, Texas Hold’em. Released in 2014, it has grown to become one of the company’s more sought after games due to its high-quality streaming, multiple camera angels and professional dealers.

Streamed live from studios located in Europe and Malta, it allows players to play against the dealer to see which will have the better hand at the conclusion of player hole cards and the five community cards. As with the traditional format of Texas Hold’em, this game commences with a staked bet whereby cards will then be dealt.

Practice playing Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em with the Wizard's game which offers perfect strategy advice or select an online casino to play for real money 🧙 Practice Ultimate Texas Hold'Em® for Real Money or Free - Wizard of Odds. Dec 16, 2020 Ultimate Texas Hold’em is played like the one in Las Vegas poker rooms. Players start by making an Ante and Blind bet. The two bets must be equal. There are also two side bets at most Ultimate Texas Hold’em tables. Ultimate Texas Hold'em is a variation of the game Texas Hold'em in which you play against a casino dealer. The game is available at casinos using Chartwell software, as well as many land based casinos. The game's low expected loss per unit wagered makes it a useful alternative for clearing bonuses. Ultimate Texas Holdem Rules The rules of the game are simple, especially if you already know how to play Texas Holdem poker. Here’s a quick rundown of game play. – 1 standard 52-card deck I used, reshuffled after every hand. Texas hold'em is a simple poker game, but it can be daunting to get to grips with. But don't let that put you off. By the time you are down with this beginner's guide to Texas hold'em, you will know.

A standard format that is known to those who play Texas Hold’em, it affords a level of comfortability and understanding on how the game is played and the steps taken throughout its course. As with other games from Evolution Gaming, it also features the latest in encryption technology to ensure a secure connection and gameplay and is staffed by professionally trained dealers who are engaging and focus on providing a high-quality gaming experience.

Best U.S. Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em Casinos

Texas Hold’em is one of the best known classic games worldwide and is well-represented in American land-based casinos as well as those that cater to players online. This is of little surprise to those familiar with the game, and even those less so due to its exposure on television and in multiple movies.

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Contents

  • Best U.S. Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em Casinos

While only a handful of states have legalised online Texas Hold’em, U.S. players wanting access will find a large number of U.S. accepting online casinos ready to provide them with the high-quality gaming experience they crave. If you are looking for the best casinos online to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em, then consider those in the list below, each is reputable, licensed and offers generous signup bonuses.

How Live Ultimate Texas Hold'em works

Ultimate Texas Holdem Poker Game

While in traditional Texas Hold’em poker the game is played against other players, in Ultimate Texas Hold’em, that is altered so that you are playing against the dealer. Those newly exposed to it can take comfort that all other aspects of the game remain the same in so as the betting rounds and hand combinations.

The advantage to this is that, instead of having to calculate what other player cards are, the focus is on your cards and those of the dealer, which in this case, are the equal to yours, two hole cards. Winning hands are achieved through the hole cards and five community cards, with the only difference being is that to qualify, the dealer must have at least pair. Additional advantages allows experienced players to jump right into the action, view multiple camera angles, different viewing preferences and quickly locate where to ante, blinds, play and trip bets, bet denominations and side bets.

How to Play Live Ultimate Texas Hold'em

Playing Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em isn’t difficult for anybody who’s played Texas Hold’em in the past. The table is laid out with betting circles that identify the ante, the blinds, play and trips. The initial move is deciding on an Ante or Blind Bet and whether you wish to place a trip side bet. Once placed, will see the dealer drawing cards, two cards face up from the shoe to both the player and dealer. These are the hole cards. This action is followed by three community cards, also face up being dealt and another round of betting actions by the player. In the event the player chose to check or bet, an additional two community cards will be dealt with each stage, allowing for additional betting to take place. After all, cards are dealt and bets placed, the dealer then reveals their hole cards and will determine who has the best hand.

In order for the dealer to have a qualifying hand, they must have a pair or better. In the case they do not, the player will be returned his/her ante bet. Winning hands are based on traditional poker hand rankings and include a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush. These pay 1:1 for a straight, 3:2 for a flush, 3:1 for a full house, 10:1 for four of a kind, 50:1 for a straight flush and 500:1 for a royal flush.

If a side bet on trips is placed, the trip payouts are somewhat less as they are more common. These are based at a payout rate of 3:1 for three of a kind, 4:1 for a straight, 7:1 for a flush, 9:1 for a full house, 30:1 for four of a kind, 40:1 for a straight flush and 50:1 for a royal flush.

Live Ultimate Texas Hold'em in the USA

The live rendition of Texas Hold’em from Evolution Gaming is picking up pace in the states that have legalised betting. The games unique gameplay makes it a natural draw for those with a preference towards Texas Hold’em and the added trips side bet adds another element that can be favourable under the right circumstances. Access Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em is not difficult with many U.S. facing online casinos offering it amongst their gaming libraries.

Live Ultimate Texas Hold'em Tips

Finding the right momentum for this game could be difficult for players who have never played a head-to-head competition against the dealer. However, we’ve collected a few tips that should help benefit players.
  • Spectate the game before playing it for the first time, which allows for players to determine how the game is played and how prizes are won effectively.
  • Switch to the Overhead Camera Angle to watch the dealer.
  • Place small bets at the beginning of a game, figure out your play-style and then start betting big.

Live Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy

There are hundreds of different strategies for Texas Hold’em. However, the best are often simple and work effectively during the initial round of betting, which is the most important of the three. In Ultimate Live Texas Hold’em, it’s recommended that players increase bets at an interval of four if budgets allow for it. During the second round, players should influence the pot size by doubling up on their bet. However, this move should only be made by players that have four cards with two pairs, as this combination of cards somewhat guarantees that the upcoming round pot prize will be awarded to you. This is called a hidden combination and hits the dealer unexpectedly.

In the final rounds of betting, players are advised to take advantage of the last round of betting by raising their bets once more if the budget and cards allow for it. This is the risky part of the strategy, as at certain times the cards might be in the dealer’s favour. However, and at that point, the pot would’ve been doubled four times from the Ante Bet, and those confident in their cards should make this wager as the reward could be substantial. Remember, the dealer has to combat your betting with wagering of their own, and that could see the pot size become quite significant.

Conclusion

Evolution Gaming’s Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em has a staple with online casinos that feature Evolutions collection of live casino games. While it has taken longer to grow in popularity in the U.S., that has changed due to the legalising of it in multiple states. Streamed live to both mobile and desktop devices in high-definition resolution for internet connections at 5mbs or higher, it allows for high energy play that can be quite rewarding to player bankrolls.

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Table Of Contents

If you want to learn how to play Texas hold'em games, then you need to start from the basic rules and hands. That's exactly what you'll find on this beginner's guide to the game.

Texas hold'em is a simple poker game, but it can be daunting to get to grips with.

But don't let that put you off. By the time you are down with this beginner's guide to Texas hold'em, you will know:

1. What Is Texas Hold'em Poker?

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Texas Hold'em is the most popular of all poker variations.

All of the marquee tournaments around the world (including those played at the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, the and the European Poker Tour) feature the no-limit variation of this game.

Texas hold'em is so popular that is the only poker game many players will ever learn.

It takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Discovering how to play Texas hold'em poker is not difficult and the simplicity of its rules, gameplay, and hand-ranking all contribute to the popularity of the game.

However, don't let the simplicity of the game mislead you.

The number of possible situations and combinations is so vast that Texas hold'em can be an extremely complex game when you play at the highest levels.

If you are approaching the game of Texas hold'em for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key. Not only these are the easiest ones to learn, but they are also essential to understand the gameplay and, later on, the game's basic strategy.

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2. Texas Hold'em Rules

So how do you play Texas hold'em?

The goal of a Texas hold'em game is to use your hole card and in combination with the community cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand.

Hold'em is not unlike other poker games like five-card draw.

However, the way players construct their hands in Texas hold'em is a little different than in draw poker.

It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

  • In a game of Texas hold'em, each player is dealt two cards face down (the 'hole cards')
  • Throughout several betting rounds, five more cards are (eventually) dealt face up in the middle of the table
  • These face-up cards are called the 'community cards.' Each player is free to use the community cards in combination with their hole cards to build a five-card poker hand.

While we will see each betting round and different phase that forms a full hand of a Texas hold'em game, you should know that the five community cards are dealt in three stages:

  • The Flop: the first three community cards.
  • The Turn: the fourth community card.
  • The River:The fifth and final community card.

Your mission is to construct your five-card poker hands using the best available five cards out of the seven total cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards).

You can do that by using both your hole cards in combination with three community cards, one hole card in combination with four community cards, or no hole cards.

Holdem

If the cards on the table lead to a better combination, you can also play all five community cards and forget about yours.

In a game of Texas hold'em you can do whatever works to make the best five-card hand.

If the betting causes all but one player to fold, the lone remaining player wins the pot without having to show any cards.

For that reason, players don't always have to hold the best hand to win the pot. It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

READ ALSO: Common Poker Tells: How to Read People in Poker

If two or more players make it all of the way to the showdown after the last community card is dealt and all betting is complete, the only way to win the pot is to have the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Now that you know the basics of Texas hold'em and you start to begin gaining an understanding of how the game works, it's time to get into some specifics.

These include how to deal Texas hold'em and how the betting works.

Basic Rules Key Takeaways:

  • A game of Texas hold'em feature several betting rounds
  • Players get two private and up to five community cards
  • Unless all players abandon the game before the showdown, you need the highest poker hand to win

How to Play

Let's have a look at all the different key aspects of a Texas hold'em game, including the different positions at the table and the betting rounds featured in the game.

The Button

The play moves clockwise around the table, starting with action to the left of the dealer button.

The 'button' is a round disc that sits in front of a player and is rotated one seat to the left every hand.

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When playing in casinos and poker rooms, the player with the dealer button doesn't deal the cards (the poker room hires someone to do that).

In when you play poker home games with friends the player with the button usually deals the hands.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

The first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a 'small blind' and a 'big blind' to initiate the betting.

From there, the action occurs on multiple streets:

  • Preflop
  • Flop
  • Turn
  • River

Each one of these moments (or 'streets' in the game's lingo) is explained further below.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

In Texas hold'em, the player on button, or last active player closest to the button receives the last action on all post-flop streets of play.

While the dealer button dictates which players have to post the small and big blinds, it also determines where the dealing of the cards begin.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button in the small blind receives the first card and then the dealer pitches cards around the table in a clockwise motion from player to player until each has received two starting cards.

READ ALSO: Poker Positions Explained: the Importance of Position in Poker

The Blinds

Before every new hand begins, two players at the table are obligated to post small and big blinds.

The blinds are forced bets that begin the wagering.

Without these blinds, the game would be very boring because no one would be required to put any money into the pot and players could just wait around until they are dealt pocket aces (AA) and only play then.

The blinds ensure there will be some level of 'action' on every hand.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals. In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

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In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals.

  • As the number of players keeps decreasing and the stacks of the remaining players keep getting bigger, it is a necessity that the blinds keep increasing throughout a tournament. [*]In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

The player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to his or her direct left posts the big blind.

The small blind is generally half the amount of the big blind, although this stipulation varies from room to room and can also be dependent on the game being played.

In a '$1/$2' Texas holdem game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.

First Betting Round: Preflop

The first round of betting takes place right after each player has been dealt two hole cards.

The first player to act is the player to the left of the big blind.

This position referred to as 'under the gun' because the player has to act first. The first player has three options:

  • Call: match the amount of the big blind
  • Raise: increase the bet within the specific limits of the game
  • Fold: throw the hand away

If the player chooses to fold, he or she is out of the game and no longer eligible to win the current hand.

Players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

The amount a player can raise to depends on the game that is being played.

In a game of no-limit Texas hold'em, the minimum opening raise must be at least twice the big blind, and the maximum raise can be all of the chips a player has in his or her stack (an 'all-in' bet).

There are other betting variations in hold'em poker.

In fixed-limit hold'em (or just 'limit hold'em), a raise is always exactly twice the big blind.

In pot-limit hold'em (played much less often than the other variations), players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

After the first player ('under the gun') acts, the play proceeds in a clockwise fashion around the table with each player also having the same three options — to call, to raise, or fold.

Once the last bet is called and the action is 'closed,' the preflop round is over and play moves on to the 'flop.'

Second Betting Round: The Flop

After the first preflop betting round has been completed, the first three community cards are dealt and a second betting round follows involving only the players who have not folded already.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

In this betting round (and subsequent ones), the action starts with the first active player to the left of the button.

Along with the options to bet, call, fold, or raise, a player now has the option to 'check' if no betting action has occurred beforehand.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

Again betting continues until the last bet or raise has been called (which closes the action).

It also can happen that every player simply chooses not to be and checks around the table, which also ends the betting round.

Third Betting Round: The Turn

Call – match the amount of the big blind

The fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the flop.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to that on the previous street of play.

Again players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

Texas

Final Betting Round: The River

Fold – throw the hand away

The fifth community card, called the river, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the turn.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to what took play on the previous street of play.

Once more the remaining players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

After all betting action has been completed, the remaining players in the hand with hole cards now expose their holdings to determine a winner. This is called the showdown.

The Showdown

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available

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The remaining players show their hole cards, and with the assistance of the dealer, a winning hand is determined.

The player with the best combination of five cards wins the pot according to the official poker hand rankings.

3. The Hands in Texas Hold'em

These hand rankings aren't specifically part of Texas hold'em rules, but apply to many different poker games.

  • Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g., AKQJ10
  • Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g., 98765
  • Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g., QQQQ4
  • Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., JJJ88
  • Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g., AJ852
  • Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g., QJ1098
  • Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g., 888K4
  • Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., AAJJ7
  • One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g., 1010942
  • High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., AJ1052 would be called 'ace-high'

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available (their two hole cards and the five community cards).

If the board is showing 95K3A, a player with the two hole cards 9 would have two pair (aces and nines) and would lose to a player who has 99 for three of a kind (three nines).

Learning hold'em poker begins with understanding how hands are dealt and the order of play as described above.

Of course, learning Texas hold'em rules is just the beginning, as the next step is to learn strategy which involves understanding what constitutes good starting hand selection, the odds and probabilities associated with the game, the significance of position and getting to act last during those post-flop betting rounds, and many other aspects of the game.

4. How to Play Texas Hold'em Games Online

Now that you know how Texas Hold'em works, it's time to put the theory into practice and play your first games.

The best way to start playing Texas Hold'em is to start from these free poker games available online and then move up to the real money action only when you feel comfortable enough to do so.

All the 'must-have poker rooms' below offer free games to practice online.

If you are completely new to the game, you should go for play money options, first. These risk-free games with fake money are an excellent way to familiarise with the different moments of play and the betting rounds.

The play money games are a great way to learn more about the hand rankings and begin to read the board fast enough to take all the right decisions at the right time.

After that, you should more to the poker freerolls. These are free poker tournaments with actual prizes on tap that range from free money to free entries into more expensive real money games.

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Home to the biggest tournaments online, these rooms also have the largest player base, great bonuses, tons of action and the best software. If you don't have accounts here, you are missing out on the best that online poker has to offer.

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