Texas Hold'em Rules

Generally if you’ve got a glimpse of poker on TV, you’re watching them play Texas Hold’em.

At its basic roots, Texas Hold’em is a variation of Seven-Card Stud except each player only receives two cards (called hole cards) and they play off a set of five community cards dealt face up (called board cards).

Texas Hold’em Game Set Up

From two to 10 players can sit in at one table for a game of Texas Hold’em. Texas Hold’em is played with a rotating dealer, so the first step is for a player will be chosen to start as the dealer button. Generally this is done with a card being dealt to each player and the high card taking on the dealer button. After each hand, the dealer button rotates left to the next player.

When you’re playing online or at a poker room, a dealer is provided, but the dealer button still rotates around the table. In a home game you may choose to pass the deal along with the dealer button or designate one dealer and still move the dealer button around the table as well.

Texas Hold’em is also played with “blinds.” These are forced bets to start off a hand. There is a small blind which is put out by the person directly to the left of the dealer button, and a big blind which is put out by the person to the left of the small blind. For instance, if you’re blinds are $1/$2, the small blind would put out a forced bet of $1 and the big blind posts $2 to start off the hand.

Texas Hold’em Rules of Play

The dealer deals out two cards face down to each player, one card at a time. Betting action starts at the player to the left of the big blind. Each person as the option to call the big blind, raise or fold their hand.

How much a person is allowed to raise in game depends on the betting variation they’re playing. Texas Hold’em can be played as Limit, in which a raise is limited to one small blind bet; Pot-Limit, in which a raise is limited to the amount in the pot plus the players amount to call; or No-Limit, in which a player can raise any amount they have left.

Once betting has ended for the round, the first three board cards, called the flop, are dealt. Another round of betting takes place now, starting with the first player to the left of the dealer button still in the game. The betting rules laid out above for No-Limit, Limit and Pot-Limit variations still apply in this round.

When betting finishes the next board card, called the turn card, is dealt and another round of betting begins. While No-Limit and Pot-Limit betting rules above still apply, in Limit the max bet now the big blind amount instead of the small blind and will continue to be that way through the rest of the hand.

Next the final board card, called the river, is dealt. Another round of betting takes place, and if there is still more than one player in the hand after the betting, the hand goes to a showdown. The last bettor or raiser will show his cards first, or if there was no betting on the final round, the player to the left of the dealer button shows first.

The player with the best five-card hand of any combination of hole and board cards wins the pot. In the case of identical hands, the pot will be split between the players.

Once the hand ends, the button and blinds move one player to the left and another hand begins.

Texas Hold’em Hand Example

Player A Hole Cards

Player B Hole Cards

Flop

River

Player A’s best hand is a straight, ace to five.
Player B’s best hand is two pair, aces and tens.
Player A has the best ranking hand and wins the pot.

*Go here for a handy poker hand ranking reference guide.>

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