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How to play Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em Poker
How to play Texas Hold’em
If you are new to the game of poker or want to learn more about the game, understanding the rules and format of Texas Hold’em poker is important as it’s the most commonly played variant. Texas Hold’em revolves around two hole cards, which are private to each player, and then five community cards that are revealed by the dealer as the hand progresses.
After each card reveal, players must decide whether to check, bet, raise or fold in a bid to form the most valuable five-card hand and of course win the pot. To learn more about the rules of poker, visit our poker school.
Texas Hold’em Rules
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant and can be played with between two to ten players. The rules are as follows:
- One player is the dealer, with the position of the dealer rotating clockwise to the next active player after every hand. The two players to the left of the dealer are named the small blind and big blind.
- Both the small blind and big blind are required to make forced bets and are typically the only players to put money in the pot before the cards are dealt. Every player is then dealt two cards (hole cards) face down.
- Once the hole cards are dealt, the first round begins with the player sitting to the left of the big blind. This participant can fold, call or raise.
- Betting continues clockwise, with each player able to fold, call or raise the highest bet made before them. In order to stay in the hand and see the next card, all players must typically have the same number of chips in the pot.
- After the first betting round comes the flop, where three community cards are turned face-up on the table.
- Betting resumes with each player remaining in the hand having the option to check, bet or raise, call or fold.
- When the second round is finished, another community card is revealed in the ‘turn’.
- The third round of betting starts with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the dealer. It is played clockwise, as with the earlier rounds.
- When the third round is over, another community card is revealed in the ‘river’.
- The fourth round again starts with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the dealer. The betting continues clockwise until a winner is determined. If two or more players remain active after the fourth betting round has concluded, these players’ hole cards are revealed and the best poker hand wins the pot.
The Blinds
The blinds in Texas Hold’em are determined by which player is designated the dealer, or the ‘button’ for the hand. The player to the left of the button is designated the small blind, meaning the first forced bet. The player to the left of the small blind is designated the big blind, another forced bet typically twice the size of the small blind.
The blinds can differ depending on the betting structures, as follows:
- Limit games: The big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind depending on the stakes.
- Pot Limit and No Limit games: The games are referred to by the size of their blinds.
Betting Actions
Each poker hand is a culmination of various betting rounds, the number of which depends on the variation.
In Texas Hold’em there are four betting rounds, and each player must decide whether to fold, call, check, bet or raise when it is their turn to act, often basing their decision on the actions already taken by other players active in the hand.