How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker

This is exactly what you’ll discover in this game’s beginner’s guide.

Texas hold’em is a straightforward poker game, but it may be difficult to master.

But don’t be turned off by this. By the time you’ve finished reading our Texas hold’em beginner’s guide, you’ll know:

1. What is Texas hold’em poker
2. Texas hold’em rules
3. Texas hold’em hands
4. How to play a Texas hold’em poker game online for free

We’ll go through the Texas Hold’em poker rules here.

What Is Texas Hold’em Poker?

The most popular poker version is Texas Hold’em.

The no-limit form of this game is played in all of the major events around the world, including the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, and the European Poker Tour.

Many players will just learn Texas hold’em since it is the most popular poker game.

“It takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.”

Learning how to play Texas hold’em poker is simple, and the game’s appeal stems from the game’s rules, gameplay, and hand-ranking simplicity.

However, don’t be fooled by the game’s simplicity.

When played at the highest levels, Texas hold’em can be a very complicated game due to the large amount of conceivable circumstances and combinations.

Starting with the fundamental rules of Texas hold’em is essential if you are new to the game. These are not only the easiest to learn, but they are also necessary for understanding the gameplay and, eventually, the fundamental strategy of the game.

Texas Hold’em Rules

So, what’s the best way to play Texas hold’em?

The purpose of a Texas hold’em game is to build the greatest five-card poker hand possible using your hole cards and community cards.

Other poker games, such as five-card draw, are similar to Hold’em.

However, the method players create their hands in Texas hold’em is a little different than in draw poker.

“It’s always conceivable a player may “bluff” and convince others to fold better hands.”

• Each player is dealt two cards face down (the ‘hole cards’) in a game of Texas hold’em.
• Over numerous betting rounds, five more cards are (finally) dealt face up in the middle of the table
• The ‘community cards,’ which are face-up, are referred to as such. Each player is free to utilize the community cards in conjunction with their hole cards to form a five-card poker hand.

While we will observe each betting round and distinct step that constitutes a full hand of a Texas hold’em game, you should know that the five community cards are dealt in three stages:

• The Flop: the first three community cards.
• The Turn: the fourth community card.
• The River: The fifth and final community card.

Your goal is to create five-card poker hands utilizing the best five cards available from the seven total cards (your two hole cards and the five community cards).

You may achieve this by utilizing both of your hole cards with three community cards, one hole card with four community cards, or no hole cards at all.

You can also play all five communal cards and ignore your own if the cards on the table lead to a better combination.

You can do whatever you want to produce the finest five-card hand in Texas hold’em.

If everyone but one player folds because of the betting, the surviving player wins the pot without having to reveal any cards.

For that reason, players don’t necessarily have to have the greatest hand to win the pot. A player may always ‘bluff’ and convince others to fold better hands.

After the last community card is dealt and all bidding is finished, the only chance to win the pot is to have the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Now that you’ve mastered the fundamentals of Texas hold’em and have a general idea of how the game works, it’s time to dive into the details.

These include things like how to play Texas hold’em and how to bet.

Basic Rules Key Takeaways:

• There are multiple betting rounds in a game of Texas hold’em.
• Two private cards and up to five community cards are given to each player.
• You must have the best poker hand to win unless all players leave the game before the showdown.

How to Play

Let’s take a look at all of the important features of a Texas hold’em game, including the various table locations and betting rounds.

The Button

The play goes clockwise around the table, commencing with action to the left of the dealer button.

Every hand, the ‘button’ is a spherical disc that sits in front of the player and rotates one seat to the left.

The player who has the dealer button does not deal the cards in casinos or poker rooms (the poker room hires someone to do that).

When playing poker with friends at home, the person holding the button is generally the one who deals the cards.

“The button decides who is the acting dealer at the table.”

To begin the betting, the first two players to the left of the button must post a’small blind’ and a ‘large blind,’ respectively.

The action then spreads across several streets:

• Preflop
• Flop
• Turn
• River

Each one of these situations (or ‘streets’ in the game’s jargon) is discussed further below.

The button decides which person at the table is the acting dealer.

In Texas hold’em, the player on button, or last active player closest to the button receives the last action on all post-flop streets of play.

The dealer button not only selects which players must post the small and big blinds, but it also controls where the cards are dealt.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button in the small blind receives the first card and then the dealer throws cards around the table in a clockwise rotation from player to player until each has received two beginning cards.

The Blinds

Two players at the table are required to post small and large blinds before each new hand.

The blinds are the initial forced bets in the game.

The game would be extremely uninteresting without these blinds since no one would be compelled to put any money into the pot, and players could just wait until they were dealt pocket aces (AA) and then play.

Every hand will have some amount of ‘activity’ thanks to the blinds.

“The blinds are raised at regular times throughout tournaments. The blinds in cash games are always the same.”

The blinds are raised at regular times in tournaments.

• The blinds must increase throughout a tournament as the number of players decreases and the remaining players’ stacks get larger. [*] The blinds in cash games are always the same.

The player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind, while the person to his or her direct left posts the big blind.

Although this criterion changes from room to room and can also be dependant on the game being played, the small blind is usually half the value of the large blind.

The small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2 in a “$1/$2” Texas hold’em game.

First Betting Round: Preflop

The first round of betting takes place shortly after each player has been dealt two hole cards.

The player to the left of the huge blind is the first to act.

Because the player must act first, this position is known as “under the gun.” There are three alternatives for the first player:

• Call: equal the large blind’s sum.
• Raise: raise the stake within the defined restrictions of the game
• Fold: the hand is thrown away.

If the player chooses to fold, he or she is out of the game and no longer eligible to win the current hand.

“Players can stake anything from the large blind (the smallest bet permitted) to the whole value in the current pot.”

The maximum amount a player may raise is determined on the game being played.

The minimum opening raise in no-limit Texas hold’em must be at least twice the large blind, while the maximum raise can be all of the chips in a player’s stack (an “all-in” bet).

In hold’em poker, there are more betting options.

In fixed-limit hold’em (or just hold’em), “A raise in limit hold’em is always double the big blind.In 

In Pot-limit hold’em (which is played far less frequently than the other versions) allows players to wager anything from the large blind (the smallest bet permitted) to the whole amount in the current pot.

The action moves clockwise around the table once the first player (‘under the gun’) acts, with each player having the same three options – to call, raise, or fold.

The preflop round is over after the last bet is called and the action is ‘closed,’ and play continues on to the “flop.”

Second Betting Round: The Flop

Following the completion of the first preflop betting round, the first three community cards are dealt with, followed by a second betting round including only those players who have not yet folded.

“A check merely means to transmit the action to the next player in the hand.”

In this betting round (and following ones), the action starts with the first active player to the left of the button.

In addition to the choices to bet, call, fold, or raise, a player can now ‘check’ if no previous betting action has happened.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

The betting will continue until the last bet or raise is called (which closes the action).

It’s also possible that every player decides not to be and walks around the table, thereby ending the betting round.

Third Betting Round: The Turn

Following all betting activity on the flop, the fourth community card, known as the turn, is dealt face-up.

Call – Match the huge blind sum 

Following that, another round of betting, identical to the previous street of play, takes place.

Players have the choice to check, bet, call, fold, or raise once more.

Final Betting Round: The River

Following all betting activity on the turn, the river, the fifth communal card, is dealt face-up.

Fold – remove the hand.

After that, another round of betting takes place, identical to what happened on the preceding street of play.

The remaining players have the choice of check, bet, call, fold, or raise once more.

Following the conclusion of all betting activity, the remaining players in the hand with hole cards reveal their holdings in order to decide a winner. The showdown is what it’s called.

The Showdown

The remaining players reveal their hole cards, and a winning hand is decided with the help of the dealer.

“Players build their hands by selecting the five best cards from a deck of seven.”

According to the official poker hand rankings, the player with the greatest five-card combination wins the pot.

The Hands in Texas Hold’em

These hand rankings aren’t exclusive to Texas hold’em, but they apply to a variety of poker games.

• Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g., A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥
• Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g., 9♣8♣7♣6♣5♣
• Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g., Q♣Q♥Q♦Q♠4♦
• Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., J♣J♥J♠8♦8♥
• Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g., A♠J♠8♠5♠2♠
• Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g., Q♣J♦10♥9♠8♦
• Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g., 8♣8♠8♦K♣4♥
• Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., A♠A♣J♦J♣7♠
• One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g., 10♥10♣9♥4♦2♦
• High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., A♣J♦10♠5♣2♥ would be called “ace-high”

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available (their two hole cards and the five community cards).

If the board is showing 9♣5♠K♦3♠A♥, a player with the two hole cards A♦9♠ would have two pair (aces and nines) and would lose to a player who has 9♦9♥ for three of a kind (three nines).

Understanding how hands are dealt and the order of play, as detailed above, is the first step in learning hold’em poker.

Learning Texas hold’em rules is only the first step; understanding what constitutes good starting hand selection, the odds and probabilities associated with the game, the importance of position and getting to act last during those post-flop betting rounds, and many other aspects of the game are the next steps.

How to Play Texas Hold’em Games Online

Now that you understand how Texas Hold’em works, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test and play your first games.

The ideal method to get started playing Texas Hold’em is to start with the free poker games accessible online and just move up to the real money action when you’re ready.

All of the’must-have poker venues’ listed below provide free online practice games.

If you’re new to the game, you should start with the play money alternatives. These risk-free games with fake money are a great way to get a feel for the various stages of play and betting rounds.

The play money games are a terrific method to learn more about the hand rankings and begin to scan the board fast enough to take all the appropriate decisions at the right moment.

Following that, you should focus on poker freerolls. These are free poker tournaments with actual rewards on offer that range from free money to free admission into more expensive real money events.

Must-Have Rooms

These rooms not only host the largest tournaments online, but they also have the most players, the best bonuses, the most activity, and the finest software. If you don’t have an account with us, you’re losing out on the finest of online poker.