Texas Hold'em poker rules

Everything you need to play Texas Hold'em: the ten poker hands from strongest to weakest with card examples, the four betting rounds, how blinds, calls, raises and all-ins work, and who wins the pot at the showdown.

When you know the basics, practice free against computer players or sit at an online table with friends.

Hand rankings

Every player makes the best possible 5-card hand from their 2 private cards plus the 5 shared cards on the table. Hands rank from strongest to weakest:

1. Royal Flush

   A, K, Q, J and 10, all of the same suit. The best hand in poker.

2. Straight Flush

   Five cards in a row, all of the same suit. Higher top card wins.

3. Four of a Kind (Quads)

   Four cards of the same rank. The fifth card (kicker) breaks ties.

4. Full House

   Three of a kind plus a pair. Compare the three-of-a-kind first, then the pair.

5. Flush

   Any five cards of the same suit, not in a row. Compare the highest card, then the next.

6. Straight

   Five cards in a row of mixed suits. The ace can be high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5).

7. Three of a Kind (Trips / Set)

   Three cards of the same rank, plus two unrelated cards.

8. Two Pair

   Two different pairs. Higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.

9. One Pair

   Two cards of the same rank. Kickers decide between equal pairs.

10. High Card

    Nothing above. The hand with the highest card wins, then the next highest, and so on.

How a hand goes

Texas Hold’em, No-Limit: each hand has up to four betting rounds and ends when only one player is left or at the showdown.

The button and blinds

The dealer button moves one seat to the left every hand. The player left of the button posts the small blind (5), the next player the big blind (10). With an ante, everyone also pays 0 before the cards.

Hole cards

Everyone gets two private cards, face down.

Pre-flop

First betting round. Action starts with the player left of the big blind (“under the gun”) and goes clockwise. To stay in you must at least call the big blind.

The flop

Three shared cards are placed face up. Second betting round, starting with the first player still in the hand left of the button.

The turn

A fourth shared card. Third betting round, starting left of the button.

The river

The fifth and last shared card. Final betting round.

Showdown

If two or more players are still in after the river, they show their cards and the best hand wins the pot.

Heads-up (two players)

The button posts the small blind and acts first pre-flop; on the flop, turn and river the big blind acts first.

Positions

Button (dealer) acts last after the flop — the best seat. Then small blind, big blind, “under the gun” (first to act pre-flop), middle and late positions.

Betting

No-Limit means you can bet any amount up to everything in front of you, at any time it’s your turn.

Check

Pass without betting. Only allowed when nobody has bet in this round.

Bet

Put the first chips into a round. The minimum bet is one big blind (10).

Call

Match the current bet. If you already have chips in this round, you only add the difference — e.g. you posted 10, someone raised to 30: calling adds 20.

Raise (official rule)

Increase the bet. A raise must be at least as big as the previous bet or raise in the same round. Example: bet 10 → raise to at least 20. Raise to 30 (a raise of 20) → the next raise must be to at least 50.

Fold

Give up the hand. You lose whatever you already put in and can’t win the pot.

All-in

Bet everything you have. You can always go all-in, even for less than a full call or raise. You can then only win the part of the pot you matched (see side pots).

Short all-ins don’t re-open betting

An all-in that is smaller than a full raise lets the others call it, but players who had already acted may not re-raise.

The big blind’s option

If everyone just calls pre-flop, the big blind may still check or raise — the round ends only when every bet is matched and everyone has acted.

The round ends when…

every player still in has either matched the highest bet or is all-in, and everyone has had a turn.

Table stakes

You can only bet the chips on the table when the hand started. Rebuys and added chips count only from the next hand.

Table manners

Act in turn; acting out of turn can be binding. Saying “call” or “raise” commits you. No “string bets”: put a raise in one motion or announce it first.

Showdown & pots

Who wins the chips, and how they’re divided.

Who shows first

The last player to bet or raise on the river shows first. If the river was checked, the first player left of the button shows first.

Cards speak

The real cards decide, not what a player says. You may “muck” (throw away) a losing hand without showing.

Win without a showdown

If everyone else folds, the last player wins the whole pot and doesn’t have to show.

Side pots

When someone is all-in, the chips they can match form the main pot. Extra bets from the others go into a side pot that only they can win.

Uncalled bets come back

If nobody matches part of a bet, that part is returned to the player who bet it.

Split pots and the odd chip

Tied hands share the pot equally. A chip that can’t be split goes to the first winner to the left of the button.

Each pot separately

Main and side pots are decided one by one; the best hand among the players in each pot wins it.