How to play Texas Holdem

How To Play Texas Holdem

If you’re looking to learn how to play Texas Holdem poker, you’ve come to the right place! Together we are going to explore everything you need to know before you sit at the table and begin putting your hard-earned dollars in play.

Texas Holdem Hands

In Texas Holdem, hand rankings are as follows (listed from least powerful to most powerful):

High Card

A high card hand is when you have five cards that do not interact with one another in any way or make another hand listed below. For example, AQT45.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - High Card Hand

One Pair

A one pair hand will include two cards of the same value as well as three additional disconnected cards. For example, JJ372.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - One Pair Hand

Two Pairs

A two pair hand will include two sets of cards that match one another as well as one additional card of a different value. For example, AAKK4.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Two Pair Hand

Three Of A Kind

A three of a kind hand will include three cards of the same value and two additional disconnected cards. For example, 99956.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Three of a Kind Hand

Straight

A straight hand will include 5 cards in sequential order. For example, 56789.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Straight Hand

Flush

A flush hand will include 5 cards all of the same suit. For example, AQ632 of hearts.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Flush Hand

Full House

A full house hand will include a three of a kind and a two of a kind. For example, AAAKK.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Full House Hand

Four Of A Kind

A four of a kind hand will include 4 cards of the same value as well as one additional card. For example, 77772.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Four of a Kind Hand

Straight Flush

A straight flush hand will include 5 cards in sequential order that are also all of the same suit. For example, A2345 of spades.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Straight Flush Hand

Royal Flush

The best hand in poker, a royal flush hand will include the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit. For example, TJQKA of diamonds. A royal flush is unbeatable in Texas Holdem poker.

Texas Holdem - Hand Rankings - Royal Flush Hand

Texas Holdem Rules

The Basics

Texas Holdem poker is the most popular variation of the game and is played with a standard 52 card deck. At its most basic form, each hand begins with players at the table each receiving two cards (known as “hole cards”) and attempting to make the best hand possible using any combination of their two cards and/or the 5 communal cards dealt face up on the table (known as the flop, turn, and river).

Texas Holdem Positions

Starting from the left of the dealer button, the positions at the poker table go as follows:

The Blinds

  • Small Blind
  • Big Blind

Early Position

  • Under The Gun (UTG)
  • Under The Gun +1 (UTG1)

Mid Position

  • Middle Position (MP)
  • Middle Position +1 (MP1)

Late Position

  • Hijack (HJ)
  • Cutoff (CO)
  • Button (BTN)

Blinds & Betting Rounds

Before the cards are dealt to begin the hand, the players to the direct left of the dealer button put a forced bet into the pot to ensure there is something for players to fight over in every hand. The Big Blind (BB) puts in a full bet and gets to act last in preflop action while the Small Blind (SB) puts in a half-sized bet and will act first postflop for as long as they remain in the hand.

Once each player has received their hole cards, the person directly to the left of the BB must decide whether to call (match the amount posted by the BB), raise (increase the size of the bet by at least

As a conclusion

We hope you found this Texas Holdem article helpful in understanding the basics of the game, from hand rankings to positions and betting rounds. Whether you are a complete beginner or looking to improve your game, learning and mastering the fundamentals is crucial to your success at the poker table. Remember, strategy is key in Texas Holdem, and it takes time, practice, and patience to become a skilled player. So next time you sit down to play, keep these tips in mind and enjoy the excitement and challenge of the game. Good luck and have fun!

How to play Texas Holdem - Frequently Asked Questions

Can the house cheat at Texas Holdem?

The short answer is no. And the longer answer is also no. There’s no incentive for a poker room to cheat at Texas Hold’em. Remember, poker rooms don’t participate in poker. Unlike Blackjack, Craps, slots, or pretty much any casino game in which you face off against the house with the goal of winning their money, in Texas Hold’em, you don’t play against the house.

The sole goal of the house is to act as a host for everyone anteing up. They provide the tables, cards, and chips. And they collect a fee for doing so, either through rake (cash games) or a flat fee (tournaments).

How many cards are dealt in Texas Holdem?

According to Texas Hold em rules, each player gets two cards, both dealt face down, and only revealed at the end of the final betting round. In addition to the hole cards dealt to each player, there are also five community cards, made up of three cards in the flop, one turn card, and one river card.

How many chips in Texas Holdem poker?

Chip stacks vary based on a number of factors. And if you’re playing in an online tournament or one in a poker room, you don’t really have to worry about chip distribution because everything is pre-determined and set up for you. But if you’re running a home poker game, you’ll definitely want to budget at least 100 chips per player. If you have a chipset with chips in various colors, you can assign a chip value to each color.

How many starting hands are deal in Texas Holdem?

Texas Hold em poker rules state that there are 1,326 possible 2-card starting hands, with the best hand being pocket Aces and the worst hand being 7, 2 (offsuit). This 1,326 value takes into account various suits.

But for the sake of understanding probability, before the flop is dealt, you can assume that there are 169 different combinations. There are 10 possible 5-card poker hands, including Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.

In Texas Hold'em, what's the term for the face-down cards each player gets to start the hand?

These are called hole cards or pocket cards. They remain face down until the end of a hand, assuming that there needs to be a showdown. If everyone has folded to the sole remaining player, the hole cards don’t need to be revealed.

Who gets the first card in Texas Hold'em?

Poker rules dictate that the player to the left of the dealer button gets the first card. This player is known as the small blind.

How many players do you need to play Texas Hold'em?

You need at least two players to play Texas Hold’em. Remember, as the number of players increase, you’ll want to modify your Texas Hold em strategy.

AFFILIATES PROGRAM