Whether you’re playing poker on the mighty Mississippi River or in the smoky dimness of a saloon in the Wild West, there are certain situations in which losing a hand can have dangerous consequences. In the old days, liquored up miners and cowboys would often shoot at the table when they were angered over a bad beat, and sometimes even Wild Bill Hickok took advantage of his famed prowess with a six-shooter to take care of a poker loser in Deadwood.

Today, however, most gamblers don’t have to worry about losing their heads to a massive angry beast and instead can enjoy the thrill of participating in a dangerous game known as Cowboy Poker. This grueling event is one of the main attractions at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, which holds it during intermissions between traditional rodeo events such as calf-roping and bull riding.

Cowboy Poker, which is a form of Texas Hold’em, features five players who each hold two cards face down and a fifth card facing up in front of them. The players then try to make the best hand possible by betting, raising, and reraising their holdings against each other in an attempt to win the pot. The person who makes the best hand wins the competition.

In poker, the Cowboy Poker is considered to be one of the strongest starting hands. Because of this, it’s important to raise and re-raise the Cowboy poker when dealt as a preflop holding. However, there are a few important exceptions to this rule. For example, if you have the poker cowboys against a tight player, it’s a good idea to fold this strong holding.

Another scenario that’s best avoided when dealing the poker cowboys is to call the BB when facing a raised bet on the flop. This is because you’ll be giving your opponent the opportunity to call your bluff and will give them an easy way out of the pot. You should only do this if you’re absolutely certain that your opponent has pocket aces, and even then it’s not always guaranteed to work.