Texas Hold 'Em: The Winner
The winner in Texas Hold ‘Em depends on different situations (and your own definition as well.) Sound confusing? It won’t be in a second.
First of all, there’s the winner who won the hand. Then there’s the person who won the most hands. Then there’s the person that wins the most money over several games – in reality, he or she could be considered the ‘real’ winner. Then there are tournaments where the last man or woman left is the winner.
Personally, we like to think that anyone that goes home with some sort of profit is a winner.
Now, all that is well and good, but now let’s focus on what makes a winner for a single hand of Hold ‘Em.
After the River card is dealt, the remaining person with the highest five card hand (hole cards plus board) is the winner (this is called the showdown). Also, at anytime during the game if everyone but one person folds, then that remaining person is the winner (in this case, hole cards do not have to be shown.)
However, sometimes, Texas Hold ‘Em rounds will result in tied hands. In this case, we may have two (or more) equal hands at the showdown, and those players share the pot equally. The interesting part is that there are no tie breakers in Texas Hold ‘Em. It’s the best five card hand, period. The other cards in your hand (or on the board) don’t count.
Sometimes you might hear someone say, “Colorado Jim was last night’s winner. He took most of our money.” That type of winner may or may not win the most rounds but that’s just fine. Texas Hold ‘Em doesn’t force you to win the most hands to get the big money. You just have to make good estimates on when to bet, fold, and raise. By knowing when to fold, you minimize your loses because you won’t be paying extra to play losing hands. By knowing when to bet, you stay in profitable games. Knowing when to raise forces other people to contribute to the pot, so you’ll take home more money when you win the round. Believe me, this is easier said than done. It takes awhile to get that poker sense to know when to hold em’, know when to fold em, know when to walk away and yes, even knowing when to run (sound familiar? We’ll talk about counting your money while sittin’ at the table next!)
One last type of winner we’ll discuss is a tournament winner. The winner is the person who wins all (or nearly all) the chips over a tournament. As the game progresses, players are forced out of the game by exhausting their chips until they have an insufficient amount to play. The game continues with more hands (and fewer tables) until one person is left and considered the winner. Usually this person doesn’t get to keep the entire amount of chips. The chips will be given out as prizes with the top winners receiving more of the prize. Think of it as a pyramid with more money at top.
Good luck, and we hope to see you in the winner’s seat!
