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Help • The Rules of Texas Holdem • The Game

The Basics

Here is some basic poker terminology, just to make sure we're all on the same page:

If you're the first player going in a round, or if nobody has put any money in the pot yet, you have two choices:

  1. You can place chips in the pot. This is a bet.
  2. You can check, which means do nothing. The next player has a chance to bet.

If someone before you has bet, when it becomes your turn you have three choices:

  1. You can choose to match what the previous player put in by putting in the same amount. This is a call (also sometimes called seeing the bet).
  2. You can also put in more than the previous player put in. This is a raise.
  3. You can fold, which means to drop out of the hand. You don't have to put in any more chips, but you cannot win anything this hand.

If somebody after you bets or raises, when your turn comes around again, you will get another turn, where you can call, raise, or fold.

The betting round continues until all remaining players have called or checked.

More Poker Terminology

Community Cards
Cards dealt face-up in the middle of the table. Any player can use them. In Texas Hold'em, there are five community cards.
Hole Cards
Cards dealt face-down to each player. The player keeps them private until the Showdown. In Texas Hold'em, each player gets two hole cards.
Showdown
The end of a hand, when the remaining players show their cards to determine the winner.

Texas Hold'em

One player each round is designated the dealer for that round, although in casino or online play they do not actually deal any cards. The dealer for each turn is shown by the placement of the dealer button in front of that player. This is used to determine the order of betting and who pays the blinds.

Every hand, the person to the left of the dealer pays an initial bet called the small blind before even seeing his cards, then the person to the left of him pays the big blind, which is normally twice the small blind. Then betting continues like normal. Betting starts with the player after the big blind, and he can call by putting in the amount of the big blind, or raise or fold. Basically, the big blind counts as the first bet. In a way, it's like an ante, but you don't pay every time.

Since there is no real dealer, there is a little white disk that is placed in front of whoever is playing as the dealer that turn. There are also disks showing who pays the blinds.

It gets more complicated as players join and leave the table, because new players always have to pay the big blind to join in. And if the person in front of you busts or leaves when he was due to pay a blind, you have to pay it instead, even if you wouldn't normally. The computer manages all those details automatically.

Playing a Hand

So the hand goes:

  1. Whoever is due to pay small and big blinds puts money in.
  2. Two cards are dealt to each player, face down. This is the pre-flop.
  3. Betting round, starting to the left of the big blinder. If nobody raises by the time it reaches the small blinder, he must pay the difference to call. If nobody raises by the time it reaches the big blinder, he has a chance to raise.
  4. Three cards face up on the table. This is called the flop.
  5. Betting round, starting to the left of the dealer.
  6. Another card face up on the table. This is called the turn.
  7. Betting round.
  8. One more card face up. The river.
  9. Betting round.
  10. Showdown. The winner is whoever can make the best five-card hand using his two hidden ones and the five on the table.

Next: Limit vs. Pot Limit vs. No Limit