Texas Hold'em Rules

The Texas Hold'em mantra, "it takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master," is certainly fitting. This poker game at the outset is simple, yet it surprisingly grows in breadth and complexity once the concepts of betting and bluffing are added.

The Texas Hold'em sequence of events vary from casino to casino, but basic play is as follows:

1. Before dealing the cards, the two players to the left of the dealer place a bet in the pot. The person to the immediate left of the dealer bets the ?small blind? amount, and the person two to the left of the dealer bets the ?big blind? amount. These amount are labeled "blinds" because the players bet before seeing their hands. The "blinds" are the ante to ensure that every hand has "action." Blind amounts vary, but typically, the "big blind" is twice the "small blind."
2. Each player at the table is dealt two cards face down. These are called ?hole? or "pocket" cards. The players review their two cards and the first round of betting begins with each player choosing to fold, call the "big blind" amount, or raise.  The player to the left of the "big blind" makes the first bet and betting continues clockwise around the table.
3. After the first round of betting is complete, the dealer turns over three community cards face-up in the middle of the table (also known as, ?the flop?).  The community cards are shared by the all players at the table. Next, the second round of betting starts, again, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer.  Players may "check" or bet if there is no betting before them, and may call, raise, or fold if there is betting or raising before them.
4. After the second round of betting is complete, the dealer turns over a fourth community card (?the turn? or ?fourth street?) and the third round of betting begins.  Again, players may check or bet if there is no betting before them, and may call, raise, or fold if there is betting or raising before them.
5. After the third round of betting is complete, the dealer turns over the last community card (?the river? or ?fifth street?) and the final round of betting begins.
6. After the final round of betting is completed, the player with the best poker hand wins the pot (see our Texas Hold'em FAQ for a ranking of poker hands).

There are many betting variations of Texas Hold'em, but the three most prominent are:

"Limit" - bets are limited to a specified amount in each game and on each round of betting.
"Pot Limit" - maximum bet is the total pot at the time of the bet.
"No Limit" - player can bet as much as they have on the table at the time of the bet.

Now that you know the basics, play a few rounds with friends, to get the hang of the sequence of events.