How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker

If you want to learn how to play Texas Hold’em poker, then you need to start with learning the basic rules and Hold’em hands. The game is by far the most played form of poker, and it is no surprise that renowned poker tournaments such as the World Series of Poker feature some of its variants. The game has simple gameplay: All you need to do is make the best five-card hand from two hole cards and five community cards.

This guide will cover everything from rules to game-changing strategies. Let’s start with the basics –

Texas Hold’em Rules

Different variants of poker games can have different rules so learning how to play poker can be slightly different depending on the game you’re playing.

When it comes to Texas Hold’em, some poker rules are the same as those of other games, but it’s different when it comes to dealing the cards and constructing hands. These are the rules you need to know to become a pro:

The Direction of the Game

The game of Texas Hold’em moves clockwise, with each player acting as the dealer.

Who Starts

Before the first hand begins, 2 players are required to make small and big blind bets.

These are forced bets required to start the game and build the pot. The small blind is usually made by the player to the left of the dealer, while the big blind is made by the player to the left of the small blind.

How Cards are Dealt

Each player is dealt 2 private cards face down, followed by the first betting round. The two private cards are referred to as hole cards or pocket cards.

After the first betting round, three community cards, also known as Flop, are dealt face up in the middle of the table, followed by the second betting round.

When the second round is over, the fourth community card, also known as Turn, is dealt face-up, followed by the third betting round.

The last community card, known as River, is dealt face-up, followed by the fourth and final betting round.

When to Bet

In the first betting round, players have the option to fold, call, or raise.

In the second, third, and fourth betting rounds, players have the option to check, fold, bet, call, or raise.

Note that in the first betting round, the player next to the big blind starts the betting action.

How to Win

After the final betting round, the remaining players enter the showdown stage, revealing their cards to determine the winner. The player with the strongest hand wins the entire pot.

But if there is a tie, the pot is split between the two players.

It should be noted that the player can make the strongest hand by combining two hole cards with three community cards, one hole card with 4 community cards, or use community cards only.[/su_note]

Texas Hold’em Hands

To win a hand at the best poker sites you’ll need to have the best five-card poker hand. To learn what makes a good hand it’s important to learn how to make each of the hands and arrange them from strongest to weakest. Below are all hands in Texas Hold’em arranged in descending order from best to worst:

Hand	Explanation	Example
Royal Flush	A rare hand consisting of 5 cards of the same suit ranked Ace through ten	A♥-K♥-Q♥-J♥-10♥
Straight Flush	Five cards of the same suit and in sequence	9♥-8♥-7♥-6♥-5♥
Four of a Kind	A hand containing four cards of the same value and another card, known as a side card	10♦-10♣-10♠-10♥-4♦
Full House	The hand consists of three cards of the same rank and two other cards of the same rank	J♥-J♣-J♦-9♠-9♣
Flush	A hand containing five cards of the same suit and not in sequence	K♠-10♠-8♠-4♠-3♠
Straight	Contains five cards in sequence but not of the same suit	8♥-7♠-6♣-5♦-4♣
Three-of-a-Kind	Also known as Trips, the hand contains three cards of the same rank and two different cards	8♠-8♦-8♣-K♦-Q♣
Two Pair	The hand contains two cards of the same, another two cards of the same rank, and one side card	7♣-7♦-5♣-5♠-J♥
One Pair	Two cards of the same rank and three different cards	Q♦-Q♥-K♠-8♦-5♥
High Card	This hand has five cards that don’t relate to each other to make any of the hands mentioned above.	A♠-J♦-10♣-5♠-2♥

It is worth mentioning that the four suits (Heart, Diamond, Club, and Spade) have no value. If players have identical hands, i.e. hands of the same rank but not the same suits, they are tied, and a Kicker card is used to break the tie. A good example is when two players make four of a kind. Suppose there are Three Js on the board, player 1 has J-8, and player 2 has J-5 as hole cards. In this case, player 1 would win the hand with the 8 Kicker.

Texas Hold’em Betting Rounds

Every Texas Hold’em online game and tournament has four betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn, and river.

Preflop

Preflop is the first betting round that starts right after each player is dealt two hole cards. Before we get into details, you need to note that the first dealer is determined by dealing one card face up to each player.

The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Keep in mind that this card is not part of the cards needed to form the best five-card hand. After each round, the dealer button rotates clockwise, giving each player a chance to play as the dealer.

The first player to act during the first betting round is the one next to the big blind bet. This player has three options: to call, raise, or fold.

Call – To match the blind bet
Raise – Increase the bet size depending on the betting limits of the game
Fold – Throw your hand away and forfeit the current pot

If you fold, you are out of the game. Moreover, the amount a player can raise depends on the game variant being played. For example, in Fixed Limit Hold’em, the amount raised must be 2X the blind bet. In No-Limit Texas Hold’em, the minimum raised is equal to the size of the previous raise.

Once the first player acts, the game proceeds to the player next to them. This player will also have the same options: to fold, call, or raise. The process will continue clockwise until all players have acted. And remember, each Texas Hold’em table can accommodate 2-10 players.

Flop

Flop in poker is the second betting round in Texas Hold’em and only involves players who have not folded. In this round, three community cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. Unlike the first betting round, the action in this round starts with the first active player next to the button.

The first player to act in the second betting round will have three options:

Bet – Place the amount needed to start a betting round
Call – To match the bet
Fold – Discard cards and forfeit the current pot
Raise – Increase the bet size
Check – Pass the action to the next player

The second betting will end once the last bet has been raised or called. The round may also end if all players check around the table.

Turn

The third betting round starts right after the dealer deals the fourth community card – the turn. Again, the first active player next to the dealer button will start the action. The player has the option to bet, fold, call, or raise. This round will end once all players have folded, called/raised the last bet, or checked around the table.

River

The last betting round in Texas Hold’em is known as the River. In this round, each active player is dealt the fifth community card and will have the option to bet, check, fold, call, or raise. If there is only one player who didn’t fold during the final round, they win the entire pot. Once the final round is over, active players proceed to the showdown stage, where they expose their hole cards to determine the winner. During the showdown, the player with the strongest hand wins the entire pot.

Texas Hold’em Beginner Strategy

Texas Hold’em is a game of skill, meaning you must apply the best poker strategy to beat other players. However, there is no strategy that guarantees a win. These strategies will only increase your chances of winning:

1 – Always Come in for a Raise

As a professional player, you should always open raise when you are the first one to enter the pot. In other words, you should avoid calling the blind bet when you are the first to enter the pot. Calling at this stage is known as limping, and it means that you are playing weak hands, giving your opponents an edge. Limping also means that you are giving blinds an easy time to proceed to Flop with weaker hands.

2 – Don’t Be Afraid to Bluff

Bluffing is a poker strategy that involves betting or raising when you have a weaker hand than your opponents. You apply this strategy in an attempt to make some opponents with better hands than you fold. This reduces the competition in that round, and chances are that you will reach the showdown with a better hand than the remaining opponents.

3 – Play your Big Hands Strongly

Playing your strong hands aggressively will always help you win the maximum from the opponents. For example, you can raise the maximum amount in every round as long as you have a strong hand. Chances are that some of the opponents will also raise, increasing the pot size. You can also bet big when it is your turn to start the action.

4 – Learn the Basics

As a beginner, you’ll need to learn poker basics so that you’ll be able to make more confident decisions. You can do this by learning the different types of Texas Hold’em variants and the specific rules that apply to each variant. Additionally, get familiar with poker hands, including how to arrange them from the highest to lowest. The best way to learn the basics and not risk your own funds is by playing the game for free online or with friends, and reading through guides like this. So great start!

Limit vs No Limit Texas Hold’em

If you already know how to play No-Limit Texas Hold’em, you won’t experience difficulties while playing Limit Hold’em. Although the two variants have almost similar gameplay, they differ when it comes to the amount you can bet or raise. The following table shows how the two variants compare:

No Limit Texas Hold’em	Limit Texas Hold’em
Minimum raise is equal to the previous raise	Minimum amount of chips raised is equal to 2X the blind bet
Players can raise as many times as they want	Only allows up to three raises in a betting round
Bluffing is more important	Bluffing is less important
More control over the size of the pot	Less control over the size of the pot
More popular in 2024	Less popular in 2024

Callum Hamilton

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