Holdem Poker is the most popular variation of the community card game (Poker) played in the poker card rooms or casinos. Its popularity increased tremendously during Millennium year and the credit goes to the media coverage through television, magazines and Internet. In Holdem poker, each of the players gets five community cards in addition to the two hole cards of his/her own and that makes a poker hand. Holdem poker is not a dull card game but it is critical and needs on-the-spot mathematical analysis to fix-up the strategies. The two cards, with which a player starts the game, make it more interesting as the other cards are distributed among the players. Betting is done according to the cards obtained by a player and winning is absolutely a matter of luck and chance.

There are many articles about the history of poker but here is a basic summary. In the year 1967 a team of Texan Gamblers introduced Holdem Poker in Las Vegas, which gradually became popular as a strategic game. Initially the only casino which offered Holdem Poker was Golden Nugget Casino of downtown Las Vegas but it failed to attract a good number of clients from the upper crust of the society. That in future resulted in establishment of prominent casinos in different countries and gained tremendous popularity by 21st century.

In the old movies, Holdem Poker used to be showed with a touch of romance or thrill. But it is also shown in the modern James Bond movie like Casino Royale, made in 2006. During 1999 a channel in United Kingdom used to host a very popular Poker television show at late night, in which spectators could see the cards of the players through the Lipstick Cameras. In the online tournaments, players can play incognito.

Each player deals with two cards (hole cards) and that creates possibilities of (52  51)/2 = 1,326 types of combinations with the standard 52 cards. Suits have equal power at the starting. Pairs cannot be suited in the starting cards, but if suited, are more powerful than the unsuited ones. Hole suited cards can be a ‘flush’. 13 pairs (2 to Ace), 78 non-pairs (suited), and 78 non-pairs (unsuited) make a total of 169 probable hands.

For a beginner, Holdem Poker at sites like bodog poker is actually the best card game. However, practice makes a man perfect and by playing regularly one can learn the fine points of this card game. Some casinos offer practice sessions to the beginners till they attain the gaming skill with real money. This game is all about money and stakes may reach up to $100,000–$200,000. Just pray for good luck.