Texas Hold’em Poker Rules

Texas Hold’em is by far the best known and most popular form of poker played throughout the world largely due to the TV exposure it’s received over the last five or six years on popular shows like The World Poker Tour (Travel Channel) and the World Series of Poker (ESPN).

Texas Hold’em is played with a 52 card deck and anywhere from 2-11 players at a table.

Each player receives two hole cards and uses those two cards in combination with with the five community cards that anyone can use to make the best five card poker hand. Players can use one, two or even none of their whole cards to make the best five card hand.

If two or more players tie with the best hand, the pot will be split between the tying players. If there is an odd chip number, the player sitting left of the dealer (button) will get the odd chip.

Betting

Betting moves clockwise around the table starting with the players sitting just left of the dealer (button) which is known as the small and big blind. Since the small blind and big blind are automatically already invested in the pot the first player to act is the player seated immediately to the left of the big blind. This player is typically referred to as “under the gun”.

There are four rounds of betting in Texas Hold’em. One pre-flop (before the first three community cards are seen), one on the flop (first three cards), one on the turn (fourth card) and one on the river (fifth card).

Betting rules will vary depending on if you are playing no limit, pot limit or simply limit Texas Hold’em.

Blinds

Each hand starts out with a mandatory small blind and a big blind before any cards have been dealt. The small blind being the person sitting just left of the dealer (button) and the big blind sitting in the second seat left of the dealer (button). These blinds are mandatory bets to ensure that there is something in the pot on every hand.

Pre-flop

Each player is dealt two “hole cards” that only they can see. The first round of betting starts now with the player who is seated immediately left of the big blind. Each player now has the choice to call the bet, raise the bet or simply fold. Again, raising amounts depend on what form of Texas Hold’em you are playing.

In limit hold’em the player would only be allowed to raise double what the big blind or current bet is pre-flop. For instance, in Limit Hold ‘em, each betting round has a fixed bet. In $5/$10, the small blind is $2.50, the big blind is $5, and the first two rounds of betting are in increments of $5. The last two rounds of betting are in increments of $10. There is a typcially a maximum of three re-raises per betting round. In pot limit hold’em the player would be able to raise to the amount that currently is in the pot, while in no limit hold’em the player would be allowed to raise to the amount of all his/her chips. This is known as going “all in”.

Flop

After all the pre-flop betting is completed the three community cards are turned face up by the dealer. These three cards are called “community cards” and can be used by anyone still in the hand to make their best five card hand.

A second round of betting now occurs.

The Turn

The turn in the fourth community card dealt face up and can also be used by anyone still in the hand.

A third round of betting now occurs.

The River

This is the fifth and final community card dealt face up and again can be used by anyone still in the hand.

A fourth and final round of betting occurs.

Showdown

If there is two or more players still left in the hand the current players reveal their cards and the highest five card hand wins. If two or more of the players have identical hands the pot is then split.

Also, if any player who was not called at the end sees that they have already lost based on other players who have already shown their hand, then this player can “muck” their cards and not show the other players at the table their hand.

This technique is very important as poker is not only a game of math and reading people, but it gives a player the ability to reveal or not reveal what they had to their competitors. Thus, using psychology to receive an upper hand on their fellow competitors in future play.

Rankings of Poker Hands

• Royal Straight Flush (an Ace high Straight Flush)
• Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit)
• Four of a Kind
• Full House (three of a kind and one pair)
• Flush (five cards of the same suit)
• Straight (five consecutive cards)
• Three of a kind
• Two Pairs
• One Pair
• High Card

See our Poker Hand Ranking page for a full guide to the Rank of Poker Hands.