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World Series of Poker
Rules and Tips
www.ExcaliburElectronics.com
®
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© 2004 Excalibur Electronics.
The World Series of Poker®, Horseshoe®and World Champion of
SM
are trademarks of Harrah's Operating Company, Inc. Used
Poker
by permission. This product is intended for use by those 21 or older
for amusement purposes only.
Playing
Texas
Hold ‘Em
Texas Hold ‘Em is one
of the most popular poker
games. Players use their
two “pocket” cards (facedown cards) along with
five community cards to
make the best five-card
poker hand. The player
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with the best five cards
wins the hand. Hands are
played until one player has
all the chips.
There are three main
versions of Texas Hold
‘Em: limits, pot limit, or
no limit. The play of the
game is the same in all
three, except for the rules
governing betting.
The Limits Game
In Limits Texas Hold
‘Em, limits set the amount
of the bet in each round.
During the first and second betting rounds, the
lower limit is used. The
upper limit is used in the
third and fourth betting
rounds. If the limit was
“10-20,” $10 would be the
bet amount in betting
rounds one and two, and
$20 would be the bet
amount in betting rounds
three and four. Typical
limits are 10-20, 20-40,
50-100 and 100-200—
although you can choose
any limits you wish.
The Pot Limits
Game
In Pot Limit Texas Hold
‘Em, the maximum allowable raise is the size of the
pot. The size of the pot is
defined as the total of the
pot in the middle, plus all
bets on the table—plus the
amount the active player
must first call before raising. The minimum allowable raise is the amount of
the previous bet or raise.
For example, if the first
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player to act bets $100,
then the second player
must raise a minimum of
$100 (a total bet of $200).
The No-Limit
Game
In No-Limit Texas Hold
‘Em, the maximum allowable bet or raise is the
amount you have on the
table. The minimum
allowable raise is the
amount of the previous bet
or raise. For example, if
the first player to act bets
$100, then the second
player must raise a minimum of $100 (a total bet
of $200).
Blinds
Blinds are advanced
bets automatically placed
for two players in each
hand. The blinds rotate to
the left with each hand.
The blind is applied to a
player's first bet or raise. If
that player folds, he forfeits the blind, plus anything else he put in the pot.
Blinds are bets and not
antes. When it is the turn
of a player who posted a
blind, he may use the blind
as all or part of his
bet/raise. If he folds, he
loses the blind plus anything else he put in the pot.
All blinds must be posted before play begins.
There are two required
blinds for each hand.
The small blind is equal
to one-half the lower betting limit. The small blind
is posted by the first play-
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er to the dealer's left.
The big blind is equal to
the lower betting limit.
The big blind is posted by
the second player to the
dealer's left. If there are
only two players, the dealer posts the big blind.
There may be one or
more additional big blinds.
Each new player is
required to post the big
blind for his first hand,
and may use the blind as
all or part of his bet. If he
folds, he loses the blind.
Once all of the blinds
have been posted, play
begins.
Playing the Game
Texas Hold ‘Em is dealt
in four stages or rounds.
Before dealing each
round, the dealer normally
discards the top card into a
pile of unused cards. This
eliminates the possibility
of using a card someone
has been able to see.
Dealing a card to the pile
of unused cars is called
“burning” the top card.
One card is dealt to
each player. The player
with the high card deals
the first hand. If more than
one player has the high
card, the first player to
receive the high card
deals. The deal is passed to
the left with each new
hand.
First Betting
Round-
deals two cards to each
The dealer
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player. The player to the
left of the small blind
plays first. The limit is the
lower limit for betting in
round one. The player can
FOLD, CALL or RAISE.
Play continues around the
table to the left.
Second Betting
Round-
Once the bets
are even, three cards are
dealt face-up to the table
(the flop), and the second
betting round begins. The
big blind plays first. The
limit is the lower limit for
round two. The player can
FOLD, CHECK or BET.
Play continues around the
table to the left.
Third Betting
Round-
Once the bets
are even, one card is dealt
face-up to the table (the
turn), and the third betting
round begins. The big
blind plays first. The limit
is the upper limit for round
three. The player can
reveals his cards first, then
the player to his left, and
so on, until all hands have
been revealed. Players use
the best five cards from
FOLD, CHECK or BET.
Play continues around the
table to the left.
Fourth Betting
Round-
Once the bets
are even, one card is dealt
face-up to the table (the
river), and the fourth betting round begins. The big
blind plays first. The limit
is the upper limit for round
four. The player can
FOLD, CHECK or BET.
Play continues around the
table to the left.
The Showdown-
Once the bets are even, the
showdown occurs. The
last player to bet or raise
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Ranking of the Hands
1. Royal Flush: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the same
suit.
2. Straight Flush: Straight (see #6 below) with all five
cards in the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
4. Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair.
5. Flush: Five cards of the same suit. If there is more than
one flush, the hand with the highest card(s) wins.
6. Straight: Five cards in sequence. Cards can be in any
suit. An Ace can be used in the highest straight (10, J, Q, K,
A) and the lowest straight (A, 2, 3, 4, 5).
7. Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
8. Two Pair: Two cards of the same rank plus two other
cards of a different rank.
9. One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
10. High Card(s): The highest card or cards.
their two pocket cards and
the five community cards,
in any combination. The
highest hand wins the
game.
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TIPS
1. If you are dealt strong
pocket cards, bet and raise, if
possible, before the flop. This
grows the pot and encourages
weak hands to fold. There is
nothing more frustrating than
getting burned by someone who
should have folded but was
given a free ride.
2. If you are dealt low cards
of different suits that are unconnected, fold the hand unless it is
very cheap to stay in.
3. Don't get too excited if
you have a good hand using
cards in the flop. Remember that
there are probably other good
hands using those same cards.
4. If you are dealt a low pair,
be careful. Fold the hand unless
it is very cheap to stay in.
5. Bet if the flop is unpromising and you have an ace. Be
careful, however, if someone
raises.
6. Watch for straight and
flush possibilities. The use of
community cards makes these
hands more frequent.
7. Consider all the possibilities of your hand, but don't
waste time and money on long
shots.
8. Learn to spot the signs of
bluffing. A change in a player's
demeanor usually indicates a
bluff. Be careful though, good
players will put on an act to
throw you off. Learn to do the
same yourself.
9. Early in the game, getting
caught on a bluff is not necessarily bad. This can put in the
minds of the other players that
you are a bluffer. They will continue to call with losing hands,
just to avoid being suckered.
10. Watch the other players,
even if you are out of the hand.
Look for clues as to the strength
of their hands and their propensity to bluff.
11. Don't fall into patterns of
betting. Make occasional outrageous plays. This will confuse
your opponents.
12. Don't get too optimistic
on a winning streak. Reckless
betting can cause your winnings
to evaporate quickly
.
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS,
INC., warrants to the original consumer that its products are free from
defects for a period of 90 DAYS
from the date of purchase. If any
such defect is discovered within the
warranty period, EXCALIBUR
ELECTRONICS, INC., will repair
or replace the unit free of charge
upon receipt of the unit, shipped
postage prepaid and insured to the
factory address shown at right.
The warranty covers normal consumer use and does not cover damage that occurs in shipment or failure that results from alterations,
accident, misuse, abuse, neglect,
wear and tear, inadequate maintenance, commercial use, or unreasonable use of the unit. This warranty
does not cover cost of repairs made
or attempted outside of the factory.
Any applicable implied warranties,
including warranties of merchantability and fitness, are hereby
limited to 90 DAYS from the date of
purchase. Consequential or incidental damages resulting from a breach
of any applicable express or
implied warranties are hereby excluded. Some states do
not allow limitations on the
duration of implied warranties and do not allow
90-Day Limited Warranty
exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations and exclusions in these
instances may not apply.
The only authorized service center
in the United States is:
Excalibur Electronics, Inc.
13755 SW 119th Ave
Miami, Florida 33186 U.S.A.
Phone: 305.477.8080
Fax: 305.477.9516
www.ExcaliburElectronics.com
Ship the unit carefully packed,
preferably in the original carton, and
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insured. Include a letter, detailing
the complaint and including your
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E
XCALIBURELECTRONICS
13755 SW 119
IAMI
, F
M
LORIDA
P
HONE
: 305.477.8080
AX
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THAVENUE
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