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Speed Hold’em Poker

Texas Hold'em – is the most popular kind of poker nowadays. Speed Hold’em Poker is an improved version of it, the main advantage being - speeding up the game and increasing the amount of handouts!
The main difference of Speed Hold’em Poker at the tables is the ability to fold bad starting hands any time, independent of the players sitting in front of you. After you fold the cards that you don't like, you are transferred to another table momentarily, where you are handed new cards, without waiting for the end of the current handout.
We remind you, that if you sit at the table, autoblind system goes into effect and Speed game is regrettably impossible to combine with the game on the regular Single cash tables.

The main differences of Speed Hold’em Poker:

1. Dealing of each new hand takes place at a new table with new players.
2. It is possible to fold at any moment, even if the competitors sitting in front of you haven't folded yet.
3. By folding, you are instantly transferred to the new table and get new cards.

How and what will be happening at your table

If you decide to take part in the handout, then you have to know how and what will be happening at your table.
Near one of the players there is a chip with a “D” letter. This chip is called the dealers button. The dealers button is moving along the circle to the left before each game round.
A standard game round can be described as follows - we'll take Limit Hold'Em as an example.

1. The Blinds. Each hand begins with posting blinds. It means that the first two players to the immediate left of the dealer button place their bets before their cards are dealt, thus creating the initial pot. The first player posts the small blind equal to half the minimum bet (e.g., $1 in a $1/$2 game). The second one posts the big blind equal to the amount of the minimum bet (e.g., $2 in a $1/$2 game). As the dealer button moves clockwise around the table, at some stage each player will end up posting blinds.
2. Dealing cards. After the blinds have been posted, each player is dealt the first two cards (pocket cards) face down.
3. First betting round. The first round of betting begins. The first player to place a bet is the one to the immediate left of the big blind, and then the turn moves clockwise around the table. Each player has a choice to fold his cards, to call anther's bet or to raise it. At this stage, it is only allowed to raise by the small blind amount (e.g., $1 in a $1/$2 game).
4. The Flop. After the first betting round three community cards are dealt face up (the flop). The dealer places the flop in the middle of the table. Community cards can be used by all players having entered the pot to complete their hands.
5. Second betting round. Then comes the second round of betting. Betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the dealer button.
6. The Turn. After the second betting round the dealer turns over another community card (the Turn) and places it next to the previous community cards.
7. Third betting round. The third round of betting takes place. The order of betting remains the same as in all previous rounds. The raise limit is now equal to the high limit of table (e.g., $2 in a $1/$2 game).
8. The River. Finally, the dealer turns over a fifth card ("the river") and the final round of betting takes place.
9. Fourth betting round. This is the final round of betting that goes by the same rules as the previous third round.
10. Showdown. As soon as the betting is over, showdown takes place and all the remaining players reveal their pocket cards. The player who gathers the best combination of 5 cards made up by the pocket cards and community cards wins the pot. If more than one player qualifies for the best hand, the pot is equally devided among such players. In the rare cases that the best hand is entirely made by community cards, the pot is divided among all the remaining players. It is possible to much losing hands if you don't wish to reveal them or, on the other hand, show the hand to compare with other players.
11. New hand. After the hand is finished and the winner has taken the pot, you are immediately taken to the new table and the new hand begins.

Player actions.

• Gameplay. The player to the immediate left of the big blind position is always the first to start a round of betting. The betting is done around the table clockwise. Each player makes bets basing on the strength of his cards.
• Fold. You can fold your cards if your hand seems too weak to continue. By folding your cards you forfeit your interest in current pot and do not enter the game until next round.
• Check/Call. You will stay in the game. If there was no raise in front of you, you can check without committing any more money to pot. If someone if front of you has already bet, you can call it by committing the same amount.
• Bet/Raise/Re-raise. If you reckon your hand is strong, you can make a bet. If someone else has already bet in front of you, you may want to re-raise his bet. In Limit Hold'Em each table has a fixed betting limit. In a $1/$2 table, for example, the betting limit will be $1 in the first two rounds and $2 in the last two. Each round of betting may have maximum one bet and three raises.
• All-in. When you start running out of chips it is not necessary to fold your cards and you may instead choose to go all-in. The pot is then divided into the main and additional pots, and all of the following bets will go to the add-up. At showdown, the player having pushed all-in will either gain the main pot if his hand is winning, or lose all his chips to the winner who gets it all. In the case of a win, the additional pot will belong to the player who’s second best. If there are several players going all-in, several additional pots are created and calculated in the same way. Going all-in, you can only win a pot to which you have contributed.

Buttons:
“Speed Fold” is the fold button, that is available at the Speed Poker tables. By pushing this button you fold your cards without waiting for the decision of the players sitting in front of you. After pushing that button you will be immediately transferred to a different table by the beginning of another handout.