What's the difference between poker and Texas hold'em poker?

Question

What's the difference between poker and Texas hold'em poker?

Answer 1

Well the word "Poker" encompasses all poker game variations. I'll assume you're talking about the most common form, Five Card Draw.

The only difference in the two games is the hand.

In five card draw, each player is dealt five cards, and may trade up to four of those in for new cards depending upon the specific rules of the game.

In Texas Hold'em, each player is dealt only two cards. Four cards are placed on the table face down and turned over successively with each round of betting. Players build a hand off of the two cards they have, combined with the "community" cards on the table.

The advantage of playing Texas Hold'em is that a player can more easily ascertain winning probabilities, and therefore can bet more safely. This game is more skill based, whereas Five Card draw tends to be more luck based.

Answer 2

Poker is the general term for a card game in which a player tries to make the best five card poker hand (such as flush, straight, trips etc).

However there a whole bunch of different variations of the game of poker with different rules.

Texas Hold'em is currently the most popular game, and even that has various variations; pot limit, limit, no limit, cash games, tournaments, heads up play, short handed, and more.

But there are many other variations such as Omaha, Stud, Draw and even other variations within those, such as Omaha high / low, seven card stud, or five card stud.

But the central goal of any poker game is basically to make the best hand (depending on that games rules as to what constitutes the best hand) or otherwise represent that you have the best hand.  Players place wagers as to who has the best hand.

If you are looking to learn the game, you want to learn No Limit Texas Hold'em.  This is the game that has enjoyed an explosion of popularity in the past ten years, and is the one you are most likely to see on TV or in a real casino.  If your friends invite you over to play poker, this is probably the game most likely to be on offer.