Texas Hold’em is easy to follow once you understand the rhythm of a hand. Each player builds the best five-card poker hand using any combination of two private hole cards and five shared community cards.
The button and blinds
A dealer button marks the nominal dealer position and moves one seat clockwise after every hand. The two players to its left post the small blind and big blind, creating action before cards are dealt.
Two hole cards
Each player receives two cards face down. These are your private hole cards. Protect them and do not reveal them while the hand is live.
Preflop action
The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind. Players may fold, call the current bet, or raise. Action continues clockwise until all remaining players have matched the final wager.
The flop
The dealer places three community cards face up in the center. A new betting round begins with the first active player to the left of the button. Players may check when no bet has been made, or bet, call, raise, and fold as the action develops.
The turn and river
A fourth community card—the turn—is dealt, followed by another betting round. Then the fifth and final community card—the river—is dealt, followed by the final betting round.
The showdown
If two or more players remain after the final betting round, hands are tabled and the best five-card hand wins the pot. You may use both, one, or none of your hole cards. Cards speak for themselves, and the dealer will read the winning hand.
Hand rankings, highest to lowest
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a kind
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
Your options in one sentence
Check when no bet is facing you, bet to create a wager, call to match a wager, raise to increase it, or fold to give up the hand. Follow the dealer, act in turn, and the flow will become natural quickly.