Texas Hold'em has become a very popular game. If you don't know how to play, you are missing out on an enjoyable pastime as well as some great entertainment on television. Whether you want to play Texas Hold'em with your friends for money, or you want to understand what's going on in a celebrity Texas Hold'em tournament, here's how to play:

The ante: Each player antes money into the middle. This is the money you pay in order to tell the dealer you'd like to play this round.

The cards to each player: The dealer deals out two cards face down to each person. When you receive yours, check them out but don't show them to anybody. If you are wondering what is a good hand to play, a good rule of thumb is this: if you got a hand that you'd be happy about in blackjack, then you've probably got a decent hand in Texas Hold'em. That's not a perfect rule, but it's a good place to start. Another way people decide if it's a good hand is if they get a pair or if they get a face card with a second card. Either of these hands, too, will make for a hand with some potential. After everyone has received their first two cards, there is a round of betting.

The cards in the center: The dealer deals out five cards in the center: two cards face down and three cards face up. This is called the flop. Players look at the combination of cards in their hand and cards in the flop to decide if they can assemble a poker hand from it. There is a round of betting.

The turn: The dealer turns up the fourth card. This is called the turn. Again, players look at all the cards available to decide if there is the potential for a good hand. There is a round of betting.

The river: Finally, the dealer turns out the fifth card and now the players who are still in can choose from any of the seven cards in front of them (the 5 face-up and 2 face-down) to make the best hand of five. There is a final round of betting.

The call: Players reveal their cards and the winner takes the pot!

These rules are far from complete. However, you did learn enough to play a decent game with your friends or to give you a little more understanding of what goes on at the Texas Hold'em tournament on television.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Poker Information a website providing information on Poker