Playing Texas Hold'em

The game begins when the dealer deals two down cards to each player, called their 'pocket' or 'hole' cards. In a casino or online poker game, the dealer does not participate in the hand, and the player who is the nominal dealer is represented by a 'dealer button', and has the privilege of acting last in all betting rounds.

To the left of the dealer is the 'small blind', who is responsible for posting a forced bet, usually half the minimum bet for the preflop betting round. To the left of the small blind is the 'big blind', who is responsible for posting a forced bet equal to the minimum bet for the preflop betting round. For example, in a 5/10 limit hold'em game, the small blind will be $2.50 (sometimes the small blind will be rounded up or down to the closest chip value, be it $2 or $3) and the big blind will be $5. New players entering a game will be required to post the big blind in order to play. Some hold'em variants, particularly tournaments, feature an 'ante' (a small bet required of all players that is placed in the middle and does not count toward the blinds) in addition to blinds.

Play proceeds around the table in a clockwise fashion from the dealer, except preflop where the blinds will act after the dealer.

Texas Hold'em Betting Rounds

There are a total of four betting rounds in Texas Hold'em. When each player receives his or her two hole cards, there is a round of betting known as the 'preflop' betting round. After all bets are matched on the preflop betting round, the dealer will deal the 'flop', which is three 'community cards' dealt face up in the centre of the table, that all players can use in conjunction with their hole cards to make a five card poker hand.

After all betting has been completed for the flop, the dealer will deal another card, called the 'turn' or 'fourth street'. Betting will proceed in a clockwise fashion until all bets have been matched, and then the dealer will deal the final card, called the 'river', or 'fifth street'.

After all betting has been completed on the river card, the remaining players in the hand will show their hole cards, and the best five card poker hand (using any of their hole cards and the board cards) will win the pot. If two or more players have a hand of equal strength, those players will split the pot between them. A player may use as many or as few of their personal cards as needs be to make the best five card poker hand.

Texas Hold'em Variants

There are three primary variations of Texas Hold'em limit, no-limit, and pot-limit.

Limit Hold'em

In limit, players are restricted from betting more than a set incremental amount each time they bet or raise. For instance, in a '10/20' game, players are only allowed to bet and raise in $10 increments in the first two betting rounds (preflop and flop) and $20 increments in the second two betting rounds (turn and river). Depending on the house rules, there can be four or five total bets in a round before the betting is capped (the exception to this rule is that, sometimes, house rules will allow for unlimited raises when there are only two players left in the pot).

No-Limit Hold'em

In no-limit, players are allowed to bet any amount of the chips they have in front of them on any betting street. Raises do not have to be in equal increments as they do in limit, however, a player's raise must be equal to or greater than the previous bet/raise amount. For example, if Player 1 bets $5 on the flop, Player 2 must raise at least $5 more if they want to raise (making their total bet $10). Player 3 would have to raise at least another $5 (making their total bet $15) if they wish to raise. When a player has bet all their chips, they are considered 'all-in' and do not have to match any future bets, although they do not get to contest any 'side-pot' built by bets made after they are all-in.

Pot-Limit Hold'em

Pot-limit hold'em is essentially the same as no-limit, except that the maximum bet is determined by the pot size - players can bet anywhere between the minimum bet and the pot size on any betting round. Players cannot move 'all-in' as in no-limit hold'em, unless their all-in bet is equal to or less than the pot size.