TEXAS HOLD’EM RULES

OBJECTIVE: To become a winner in Texas Hold’em Poker you should make up the highest possible poker hand of five cards, using the two initially dealt cards and the five community cards.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10 players

MATERIALS FOR TEXAS HOLDEM: 52 standard cards, poker chips

TYPE OF GAME: Casino

AUDIENCE: Adults

OVERVIEW OF TEXAS HOLD ‘EM RULES

No Limit Texas Hold ’em Poker, which is sometimes called the Cadillac of Poker. Texas Hold ’em is a poker game that is a fairly easy game to learn but can take years to master. There are no limit games and poker games with a pot limit.

To ensure your enjoyment of this great game, we will be exploring all the rules and mechanics.

If you have never played poker before, head over to our breakdown of poker for absolute newbies!

HOW TO DEAL IN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

To begin, every player gets two pocket cards. The remaining cards form a deck known as the community deck, from which the dealer deals the flop.

Once the dealer deals all players their initial two cards, players will place their first bid. After all players have placed their first bid, a second round of bidding occurs.

The dealer will deal the flop once all players have placed their final bids. The dealer will flip over the first three cards, the “flop,” from the community deck. The goal is to make the best 5 card hand with the three cards from the community deck and the two in your hand.

Once the dealer flips the first three cards, you can bid again or fold. After all players have bid or fold, the dealer will flip over a fourth card, known as a “turn” card.

The players remaining will have the option to fold once again or bid. Now, the dealer will flip the 5th and final card, the “river” card.

Once the dealer flips all five cards, players will have one last chance to raise the bid or fold. Once you make all bids and count bids, it’s time for the players to reveal their hands and determine a winner. If you want a more in depth guide check out how to deal in Texas Hold’em.

HOW TO PLAY TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

Texas Hold ’em is a game of luck and skill. The more you learn and play, the more control you have over the game. You play the game over several betting runs, leading up to a showdown for the remaining players.

FIRST BETTING ROUND: THE PRE-FLOP

When playing Texas Hold ’em, you use a round flat chip or “disk” to represent the position of the dealer. You will place this disk in front of the dealer to indicate their status.

BLINDS

The person sitting to the dealer’s left is the small blind, and the person sitting to the left of the small blind is the big blind.

When betting, you require both blinds to post a bet before receiving any cards. You require the big blind to post the equivalent or higher of the bet placed by the small blind. Once the players post both blinds, the dealer deals two cards to each player, and the remaining players can choose to fold, call, or raise.

After the end of the game, you move the dealer button to the left so that every player takes on the blind position at some point to maintain the game’s fairness.

Fold – Surrendering your cards to the dealer and sitting out the hand. If one folds their cards in the first round of betting, they lose no money. 

Call – The action of matching the table bet, which is the most recent bet that has been placed on the table.

Raise – The action of doubling the amount of the previous bet.

The small and the big blind can fold, call, or raise before the first round of betting ends. If either of them chooses to fold, they will lose the blind bet that they initially placed.

SECOND BETTING ROUND: THE FLOP

After the first round of betting ends, the dealer will deal the flop face up. Once the dealer deals the flop, players will access the strength of their hands. Again, the player to the dealer’s left is the first to act.

Since there is no compulsory bet on the table, the first player can call, raise, fold, or check. To check, a player taps his hand twice on the table; this allows the player to pass the option to make the first bet to the player to his left.

All players may check until a player places a bet on the table. Once a player places a bet, you must fold, call, or raise.

THIRD AND FOURTH BETTING ROUNDS: THE TURN AND THE RIVER

After the second round of betting closes, the dealer will deal the fourth community card of the flop, the turn card. The player to the dealer left can check or place a bet. The player that opens the bet closes the bet after all other players have chosen to fold, raise, or call.

The dealer will then add the bets to the existing pot and deal a fifth and final community card called “The River.” Once the dealer deals this card, the remaining players can check, fold, call, or raise for the final betting round.

Let’s say all players decide to check. If that is the case, it is time for all remaining players to reveal their cards and determine the winner in the final round. The player with the highest ranking hand is the winner. They receive the full pot, and a new game begins.

THE SHOWDOWN

Once you complete the final betting round, the showdown begins. In Texas Hold ’em rules, players will reveal their hands and compare them to the other players’ hands. The player with the highest ranking hand is the winner. They receive the full pot, and a new game begins.

Ties

You use the following tie-breakers in the chance of a tie between hands:

Pairs– if two players tie for the highest pairs, a “kicker” or the next highest-ranking card determines the winner. You continue until one player has a higher-ranking card or both are determined to have the same hand. If this happens, you will split the pot.

Two pairs– in this tie, the higher ranked pair wins; if top pairs are equal in rank, you move to the next pair, then move to kickers if necessary.

Three of a kind – higher ranking card takes the pot. 

Straights – the straight with the highest-ranking card wins. If both straights are the same, you will split the pot.

Flush – The flush with the highest-ranking card wins. If they are the same, you move to the next card until you find a winner or hands are the same. If hands are the same, you will split the pot.

Full house – the hand with the higher ranking three cards wins. 

Four of a kind – The higher ranking set of four wins.

Straight flush – ties are broken the same as a regular straight.

Royal Flush – split the pot.

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM HANDS

1. High Card – Ace being the highest (A,3,5,7,9) Lowest hand

2. Pair – Two of the same the same card (9,9,6,4,7)

3. Two pairs – Two pairs of the same card (K,K,9,9,J)

4. Three of a kind – Three cards of the same ( 7,7,7,10,2)

5. Straight – Five cards in order (8,9,10,J,Q)

6. Flush – Five cards of the same suit

7. Full House – Three cards of a kind and a pair (A,A,A,5,5)

8. Four of a kind – Four cards of the same

9. Straight Flush – Five cards in order all of the same suit (4,5,6,7,8 – same suit)

10. Royal Flush – Five cards in order of the same suit 10- A (10,J,Q,K,A) Highest hand

HOW TO WIN A HAND OF TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

To win a hand of Texas Hold ’em, you must have the highest ranking of the remaining hands in the showdown. Another way to win is to be the only player not to fold during the betting rounds.

TEXAS HOLD’EM STRATEGIES

• Learn about the odds and probabilities of the game. This action will help you determine which opening hands are better than others and when to fold or bluff.
•  Playing with the same people over time can help you find they’re “tells.” Tells are actions taken by other players that reveal information about their hands. For example, a player may tap the table because of nerves when bluffing.
•  Going all in is very exciting, but reserve this move for big impact moments in the game. The only time you should go all in is when you are certain you have the best hand, you are confident in your bluffing abilities, or when going all in is your only option to remain in the game.
•  Your positioning at the table is also very important. The dealer has the best seat because they get the most information before raising, calling, or folding.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM RULES AND OTHER POKER GAMES

The Texas Hold ’em rules of Poker are a fan favorite, but many more poker variations exist to explore.

SHORT DECK POKER

Short Deck Poker is a fast-paced version of Texas Hold ’em. In this game, you remove 2s through 5s, leaving you with a 36-card deck.

HORSE POKER

HORSE poker is a variant of Poker where you play five mini-games of different variations of Poker. It is chaotic and super fun if you have never played this version.

DRAW POKER

Draw Poker is one of the oldest forms of Poker! There is much room to bluff, so it usually plays for higher stakes.

MANILA

Manila is a variation of Texas Hold ’em with a stripped deck. It only has 32 cards, removing all cards below 7s.

FAQ

Is Texas Hold ’em Hard to Play?

The Texas Hold ’em rules are very easy to learn. However, Texas Hold ’em is a tough game to master.

Is Texas Hold ’em More Luck or Skill?

The game has both strong mechanics of luck and skill, but the range of skill is much higher. Pro players are very skillful and can dramatically decrease the effects of luck on the game. At its highest level, this game is about math and probability.

What Is the Best Number of People for a Texas Hold ’em game?

There is not a “best” number of players, but many people agree that 6 to 8 people have a balanced game that is not too overcrowded for most poker games.

Additional Resources

If you want to try to play Texas Hold ’em, we recommend choosing a new UK casino from our updated top list.

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Amber Crook

Amber (They/Them) is an Austin writer and gaming connoisseur. A self-proclaimed gaming master with a love for dogs, plants, and D&D.

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