Guide · Texas Hold'em from scratch
How to play poker: Texas Hold'em rules step by step
Texas Hold'em is the poker you see on TV and the one played at most home games. Here is one full hand from start to finish, what you can do on your turn, and the rules people always argue about.
6 min read · Updated on
In short
Every player gets 2 private cards, and 5 community cards are dealt face up in the middle for everyone to share. There are 4 betting rounds. You win by making the best 5-card hand or by getting everyone else to fold.
- cards of your own, face down
- 2
- cards of your own, face down
- community cards on the table
- 5
- community cards on the table
- betting rounds
- 4
- betting rounds
- players per table
- 2–10
- players per table
What you need
A 52-card deck
A standard deck, no jokers.
Chips
To bet with. Any chips or tokens will do for a home game.
2 to 10 players
It is most fun with 4 to 8.
A dealer button
It can be a coin. It moves one seat to the left after every hand.
How you win
With the best hand
At the end the cards are shown and the best 5-card combination wins.
Without showing anything
If you bet and everyone folds, the pot is yours even if you hold a bad hand.
The blinds
Before any cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer button post forced bets. That way there is always something to win.
Button
Dealer
Posts nothing. Acts last after the flop, which is the best seat at the table.
Small blind
Posts 10
Half the big blind. Sits directly to the left of the button.
Big blind
Posts 20
The minimum bet of the hand. Sits second to the left of the button.
One full hand
You hold Ah Qh and your opponent holds Js Jc. Here is how the hand plays out:
- 01
Blinds and the deal
The blinds go in and everyone gets 2 cards face down.
Your cards. - 02
Preflop: the first betting round
The player to the left of the big blind starts. Each player can fold, call or raise.
- 03
The flop: 3 cards
Second betting round. From here on, the first player still in the hand to the left of the button acts first.
You paired your queen. Your opponent has a pair of jacks. - 04
The turn: the fourth card
Third betting round.
You now have 4 hearts: one more for a flush. - 05
The river: the fifth card
The last betting round.
The flush did not come, but you still have a pair of queens. - 06
Showdown: the cards are shown
If two or more players are left, the best 5-card hand wins.
You win: a pair of queens beats a pair of jacks.
More detail: burn cards, who shows first and heads-up play
Burn cards: before the flop, the turn and the river, the dealer discards the top card face down. That way nobody benefits if a card was accidentally seen.
Who shows first: the last player who bet or raised on the river. If nobody bet, the first player to the left of the button shows first. A player who knows they lost can muck their cards without showing them.
With only 2 players (heads-up): the button posts the small blind and acts first before the flop; after the flop the button acts last.
Raising the stakes: in many home games the minimum bet doubles from the turn on. Agree on it before you start.
What you can do on your turn
check
Check
You bet nothing and stay in. Only possible if nobody has bet before you.
bet
Bet
You put chips in. Everyone else has to pay to stay in.
call
Call
You match the current bet.
raise
Raise
You match the bet and add more. The minimum is double the bet.
fold
Fold
You throw your cards away and lose what you already put in.
all in
All in
You bet all of your chips.
What happens if someone goes all in for less?
They can only win from each opponent as much as they put in themselves. Whatever is left goes into a side pot that the other players compete for.
| You (all in with 100) | Opponent 1 (300) | Opponent 2 (300) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main pot: 300 | You can win it | Can win it | Can win it |
| Side pot: 400 | You are not in it | Can win it | Can win it |
The rules people always argue about
No suit is worth more
If two hands are exactly equal, the pot is split.
The board can be the best hand
If nobody improves on it, everyone still in the hand splits the pot.
The kicker breaks ties
With the same pair, the higher side card wins.
Cards speak
At showdown, what is on the table counts, not what a player says they have.
3 tips for your first night
Play few hands
Pairs and high cards. See the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em.
Watch your position
Acting last gives you information. See poker positions explained.
Do not call just to call
Work out whether it pays with pot odds and the rule of 2 and 4.
Frequently asked questions
What is poker?
A card game where you bet chips that your hand is better than everyone else's, or that they will fold before the end. Whoever has the best hand at showdown, or the last player who has not folded, wins the pot.
How do you play poker if you have never played?
Start with the basics: you get 2 cards, there are 4 betting rounds, and the best 5-card hand wins, or the last player who has not folded. This guide walks through one full hand, and you can practice risk-free in the app.
How many cards are dealt in Texas Hold'em?
2 to each player, face down. Then 5 community cards are dealt: 3 on the flop, 1 on the turn and 1 on the river.
How many people can play?
From 2 to 10. With 2 it is called heads-up: the button posts the small blind and acts first before the flop.
Can you use only the cards on the table?
Yes. If the 5 community cards are your best hand, you are "playing the board", and the most you can do is tie with anyone else who reaches showdown with a hand that is not better.
Who acts first?
Before the flop, the player to the left of the big blind. After the flop, the first player still in the hand to the left of the button.
What is the minimum raise?
At least the size of the last bet or raise. If someone bets 20, the minimum raise is to 40.
What is the difference between Texas Hold'em and five card draw?
In five card draw every player gets 5 private cards and can swap some of them; there are no community cards.
You know the rules. Now practice them.
Play real hands against app opponents, and on every decision we tell you whether it was a good one and why. Free, and no real money.