Poker gambling on the rise

Casino gambling on this side of the Atlantic has until recently been centred on games such as roulette and blackjack, with a few slot machines in the background. The rise of online casinos has however changed the casino gambling scene dramatically, and with none of the  physical space restrictions inherent in a land based casino, the online casinos are able to offer their customers a much bigger range of gambling games. One of the main beneficiaries of this gambling revolution has been the game of poker, and in particular Texas Hold’em poker. Poker gambling has of course always been popular, but public access to poker games has been limited, and gambling on poker has generally been confined to private clubs and poker evenings at home. Online casinos and televised poker tournaments have introduced poker to a much wider gambling audience, with the Texas Hold’em format proving the most popular form of poker gambling. We have detailed the rules and some strategies on our Texas Hold’em page, but for those new to Texas Hold’em gambling here are the basic principles and attractions of the game. Texas Hold’em begins with each player being dealt two cards face down, followed by five ‘community cards’ dealt one at a time in the centre of the table which can be used by any of the players to form their best 5-card hand. The secret of successful gambling on Texas Hold’em poker is knowing when to play and when to fold, a decision which has to be made up to five times for each hand. The popularity of this form of poker lies in the increasing tension which these multiple gambling decisions inevitably create, and of course the ever increasing size of the pot as the game progresses. Texas Hold’em poker is a great casino game, but does require a certain degree of experience and strategy so we would certainly recommend that players who are new to this form of poker gambling hone their skills with the free play facility available at most online casinos before gambling with real money.