How to play
How to Play Poker (Texas Hold'em)
Two cards in your hand, five on the table, and a decision on every street.
- Players
- 2–10 players
- Play time
- 60 min+
- Published
- Traditional
- Publisher
- Traditional
What you are trying to do
Win chips, not hands. You win a pot either by showing the best five-card hand at showdown, or by making every other player fold.
That second option is why the game is interesting: the cards only matter as much as your opponents think they do.
Blinds and position
Two players post forced bets before the cards are dealt — the small blind and the big blind — and the dealer button moves one seat clockwise each hand.
The button acts last after the flop, which is a real advantage. Good players play more hands from late position and fewer from early position.
The four betting rounds
Each player gets two hole cards, then a round of betting (preflop). Three community cards follow (the flop), then a fourth (the turn) and a fifth (the river), each with its own betting round.
On your turn you can check (if there is no bet), bet, call, raise or fold. A raise must be at least the size of the previous raise in no-limit games.
Hand rankings, strongest to weakest
Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
Your hand is always the best five cards available to you, which means the board can play for everyone — a split pot is common.
How a hand ends
If everyone folds, the last player takes the pot without showing. If two or more players remain, cards are revealed and the best five-card hand wins; ties split the pot.
In no-limit Hold'em there is no cap on bet size, which is why stack management matters as much as card selection.
Poker (Texas Hold'em): common questions
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. A flush beats a straight, and a full house beats both. The full order runs royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
What is the best starting hand in Hold'em?
Pocket aces. But position and post-flop play matter more than the cards themselves — the best hand can still lose a big pot.
What is the difference between limit and no-limit?
In limit poker the bet size is fixed by the stakes, which makes bluffing weaker and draws cheaper. No-limit, where you can bet any amount, is the version played in most casinos and on TV.