Texas Hold’em Rules
Texas Hold’em is played using a standard 52 card deck, and between
two to ten players. Big tournaments 9️⃣ may include many hundreds of players but during any
one hand, the player is only competing against others on his 9️⃣ or her table. Before every
hand, one player is designated the nominal “dealer”, identified by a marker known as
the 9️⃣ dealer button or “button”. This person does not actually deal the cards –
especially not online, where it is done 9️⃣ automatically – but the position of the dealer
determines which two players have to post the “blind” bets that get 9️⃣ the action
started.
The two players to the left of the dealer must post these compulsory “blinds”
– so called because 9️⃣ they are placed before anyone even sees their cards. The player on
the dealer’s immediate left posts the “small blind” 9️⃣ and the player one further seat
round the table posts the “big blind”, which is usually twice the size of 9️⃣ the small. In
the illustration, the dealer is in seat five with the button in front of them. The two
9️⃣ seats to their left are in “the blinds”. After every hand is complete, the dealer
button moves clockwise one position 9️⃣ around the table, which means that players take
turns to be the dealer, the small blind and the big blind. 9️⃣ After the blinds have been
posted, all players are dealt two cards face down. These are known as “hole” cards, 9️⃣ and
can only be seen and used by one player. By the end of the hand, five more “community”
cards 9️⃣ may have been dealt, face up in the middle of the table, which are available for
all players to use. 9️⃣ The first three of the community cards are exposed together (known
as the “flop”), then a fourth card (known as 9️⃣ the “turn”) is dealt individually, and
then a fifth (known as the “river”) is exposed. A betting round separates each 9️⃣ deal.
The aim of poker is to make the best five-card hand out of the seven available – two in
9️⃣ an individual’s hand and the five community cards. The Four Betting Rounds If a hand of
poker is played all 9️⃣ the way to its conclusion, there will be four betting rounds – or
four periods during which players can commit 9️⃣ their chips to the pot. A player can also
“fold” their cards and leave the action at any time (see 9️⃣ below). A betting round must
be concluded satisfactorily before the remaining players see more cards and another
betting round begins. 9️⃣ Pre-Flop – The First Round of Betting The first betting round
takes place before the first three community cards (the 9️⃣ “flop”) are dealt. This action
is described as “pre-flop” and at this stage players are wagering based solely on the
9️⃣ strength of their two concealed “hole” cards. The player sitting to the left of the big
blind acts first – 9️⃣ a position known as “under the gun”. Players then act in turn,
moving clockwise around the table. You have the 9️⃣ following options when it is your turn
to act: Fold : This means that you no longer want to play 9️⃣ the hand, and are throwing
your cards away. You no longer have any claim to the money in the pot, 9️⃣ even if you paid
one of the blinds.
: This means that you no longer want to play the hand, and 9️⃣ are
throwing your cards away. You no longer have any claim to the money in the pot, even if
you 9️⃣ paid one of the blinds. Call : This means that you want to play the hand by
matching the size 9️⃣ of the current bet. Pre-flop, this will be at least the size of the
big blind, and may be greater 9️⃣ if any other player has raised.
: This means that you
want to play the hand by matching the size of 9️⃣ the current bet. Pre-flop, this will be
at least the size of the big blind, and may be greater if 9️⃣ any other player has raised.
Raise : This means that you want to raise the size of the current bet. 9️⃣ If nobody before
you has made a raise, you can make a raise yourself.
: This means that you want to
9️⃣ raise the size of the current bet. If nobody before you has made a raise, you can make
a raise 9️⃣ yourself. Check: If you are sitting in the big blind and no else has raised
before you, you have the 9️⃣ option to check. This means that you do not wish to commit any
more chips to the pot. You can 9️⃣ only check pre-flop if you are in the big blind and no
one else raised.
The betting round is complete when 9️⃣ all players have either folded,
indicating they no longer wish to continue in the hand, or committed the same amount 9️⃣ of
chips to the pot. The Flop – The Second Round of Betting After the first round of
betting is 9️⃣ complete, the first three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of
the table. This is known as 9️⃣ the “flop”. Another round of betting begins with the first
player still with cards to the left of the dealer. 9️⃣ If no one has bet, you have the
option to check (ie, to move the action to the next player 9️⃣ without committing any chips
to the pot.) Otherwise you have the same options as you did pre-flop: fold, call or
9️⃣ raise. Again, the betting round is complete when all players have either folded,
indicating they no longer wish to continue 9️⃣ in the hand, or committed the same amount of
chips to the pot. The Turn – The Third Round of 9️⃣ Betting When all bets have been made in
the second betting round, and at least two players still have cards, 9️⃣ the fourth
community card is dealt. This is known as the “turn”. Another round of betting begins,
starting with the 9️⃣ first player still in the hand to the left of the dealer. Play
progresses exactly as it did after the 9️⃣ flop. The River – The Fourth Round of Betting
When all bets have been made in the third round of 9️⃣ betting, the fifth and final
community card is dealt. This is known as the “river”. A final round of betting 9️⃣ begins,
again starting with the first player to the left of the button.
Any players still with
cards go to a 9️⃣ “showdown”. Showdown After the last round of betting is complete, each
player must form the best possible five-card poker hand, 9️⃣ made from a combination of
their two hole cards and the five community cards. At this point, all players remaining
9️⃣ must show their hands, so that the best hand can be determined. The player who has the
highest ranked poker 9️⃣ hand at showdown wins the pot. Example:
In the example above,
Player 1 has two pair: kings and queens, with a 9️⃣ seven. The five best cards available to
them are the two kings on the flop, the two queens (his own 9️⃣ hole cards), and the seven.
(Remember all poker hands have five cards.) Player 2 has three of a kind. He 9️⃣ has one
king “in the hole” which he matches with the two kings on the flop. His other cards are
9️⃣ the seven and the six, which were the turn and river. Three of a kind is better than
two pair 9️⃣ and so player Player 2 wins. If more than one player has the same winning
hand, the pot is split 9️⃣ evenly among all the players with the winning hand. When the
current hand is complete, the dealer button is passed 9️⃣ one position to the left and the
next hand begins. Poker Rules & Etiquette
