Texas Hold'em Rules: Complete Guide to How the Game Works

Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker in the world. Whether you're playing in a casino, a home game, or online, the rules are the same. This guide covers everything from the basic flow of a hand to the nuances of betting and position.

The Objective

The goal in Texas Hold'em is to win the pot — the total amount of chips bet by all players in a hand. You can win the pot either by having the best five-card poker hand at showdown or by making all other players fold before showdown.

Setup & Positions

Texas Hold'em is played with 2 to 10 players at a single table. Three positions are critical to understand:

• Dealer Button (BTN) — a marker that rotates clockwise each hand, determining the order of action. The player on the button acts last post-flop, which is the most advantageous position.
• Small Blind (SB) — the player immediately left of the button. This player posts a forced bet (the small blind) before cards are dealt.
• Big Blind (BB) — the player two seats left of the button. This player posts a forced bet (the big blind, typically double the small blind) before cards are dealt.

The blinds ensure there is always something to play for. Without them, players could simply fold every hand and wait for aces with no cost.

The Flow of a Hand

1. Preflop

After the blinds are posted, each player receives two private cards face down (called hole cards). The action starts with the player to the left of the big blind (called Under the Gun or UTG) and proceeds clockwise. Each player has three options:

• Fold — discard your hand and forfeit the pot.
• Call — match the current bet (the big blind, or any raise).
• Raise — increase the bet. In No Limit Hold'em, you can raise any amount up to your entire stack.

2. The Flop

After preflop betting is complete, three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These are shared by all players. A new round of betting begins, starting with the first active player to the left of the button. Players can now:

• Check — pass the action without betting (only if no one has bet yet).
• Bet — place a wager.
• Call — match a bet.
• Raise — increase a bet.
• Fold — give up.

3. The Turn

A fourth community card is dealt face up. Another round of betting follows, using the same rules as the flop.

4. The River

The fifth and final community card is dealt face up. The last round of betting takes place. After this round, if two or more players remain, the hand goes to showdown.

5. Showdown

Players reveal their hands. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. Each player makes their best hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards. You can use both, one, or none of your hole cards.

Hand Rankings (Strongest to Weakest)

Every poker player must memorize these hand rankings. Here they are from strongest to weakest:

1. Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit. The best possible hand.
2. Straight Flush — five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ 9♠).
3. Four of a Kind (Quads) — four cards of the same rank (e.g., K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣).
4. Full House — three of a kind plus a pair (e.g., Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♣ 7♠).
5. Flush — five cards of the same suit, not in sequence (e.g., A♥ J♥ 8♥ 4♥ 2♥).
6. Straight — five consecutive cards of different suits (e.g., 4♠ 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♠).
7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set) — three cards of the same rank (e.g., 9♠ 9♥ 9♦).
8. Two Pair — two different pairs (e.g., J♠ J♥ 4♦ 4♣).
9. One Pair — two cards of the same rank (e.g., A♠ A♥).
10. High Card — when no other hand is made, the highest card plays.

Betting Structures

Texas Hold'em comes in three main betting formats:

• No Limit (NL) — you can bet any amount up to your entire stack at any time. This is the most popular format and what you see in the World Series of Poker.
• Pot Limit (PL) — the maximum bet is the size of the current pot.
• Fixed Limit (FL) — bets and raises are fixed to a set amount.

Table Positions Explained

Position is one of the most important concepts in Hold'em. Acting later gives you more information about your opponents' actions. Here are the standard positions at a 9-player table:

Side Pots & All-Ins

When a player goes all-in (bets their entire remaining stack) and other players want to continue betting, a side pot is created. The all-in player can only win the main pot (the portion they matched). The remaining players compete for the side pot in addition to the main pot.

Key Rules to Remember

• The minimum raise must be at least the size of the previous raise.
• A player cannot raise their own bet in the same round unless another player has raised first.
• Verbal declarations are binding — if you say "raise," you must raise.
• Cards speak — at showdown, the best hand wins regardless of what the player says they have.
• In No Limit, the minimum bet is one big blind, and the minimum raise is twice the previous bet or raise.

Getting Started

The best way to learn Hold'em is to play. Start with low stakes or practice games where the pressure is low and you can focus on understanding the flow of the game. As you get comfortable with the rules, you can start exploring strategy concepts like position, pot odds, and hand reading.