How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker: Rules, Hand Rankings & How a Hand Works

Texas Hold’em is one of the most widely played forms of poker. Each player receives two private cards, and up to five shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. Players compete to win a pot, which is the collection of chips wagered during the hand.

A Texas Hold’em hand follows a predictable sequence. Players post forced bets called blinds, receive two private cards, and make decisions during as many as four betting rounds. A hand can end because every player except one folds, or it can continue to a showdown where the remaining players compare their best five-card poker hands.

This guide explains Texas Hold’em from the beginning. By the end, you should understand the cards, blinds, betting rounds, basic player actions, poker hand rankings, how ties are decided, and how a complete hand works from start to finish.

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What Is Texas Hold’em Poker?

Texas Hold’em is a community-card poker game.

Community cards are cards dealt face up in the middle of the table that all remaining players may use. Each player also receives two private cards called hole cards.

During a complete Texas Hold’em hand, a player can have as many as seven cards available:

• Two private hole cards

• Five shared community cards

Your final poker hand, however, always contains exactly five cards.

You use whichever five-card combination produces the strongest possible poker hand. You may use:

• Both hole cards

• One hole card

• Neither hole card

If the five community cards themselves make your strongest possible hand, you can use all five of them. This is commonly called playing the board.

The PokerStars Texas Hold’em rules guide provides an additional rules reference for players learning the game.

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What Is the Objective of Texas Hold’em?

The objective of each hand is to win the pot.

The pot contains all of the chips wagered during that hand.

There are two basic ways to win:

• Every other player folds, leaving you as the only player still in the hand.

• Two or more players reach the showdown, and you have the strongest five-card poker hand.

This means you do not always need the best cards to win.

If you bet and every opponent folds, the hand ends immediately and you receive the pot. If more than one player remains after the final betting round, their hands are compared at showdown.

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How Many Players Can Play Texas Hold’em?

Texas Hold’em can be played between two players, known as heads-up poker, or with several players at the same table.

Six-handed and nine-handed tables are common, although other table sizes are possible.

The basic rules of a hand remain the same regardless of the number of players. Every active player receives two private hole cards and competes for the pot.

The number of opponents becomes more important when learning strategy, but a beginner should first become comfortable with how the game itself works.

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The Dealer Button, Small Blind and Big Blind

Before cards are dealt, three positions help determine the order of play: the dealer button, small blind, and big blind.

These positions normally move one seat clockwise after each completed hand.

The Dealer Button

The dealer button is a round marker that identifies the dealer position for the hand.

In a casino, a professional dealer usually handles the cards, but the button still determines important positions and the order in which players act.

After each hand, the button normally moves clockwise to the next player.

The button also helps determine poker position. Position describes where you act relative to the other players. Acting later can become strategically valuable because you have already seen what some opponents chose to do.

A beginner does not need to master position yet, but the dealer button is the starting point for understanding it.

The Small Blind

The player immediately to the left of the dealer button normally posts the small blind.

A blind is a forced wager placed into the pot before players see their cards.

For example, in a $1/$2 Texas Hold’em cash game:

• Small blind: $1

• Big blind: $2

The small blind has therefore committed $1 before receiving any cards.

The Big Blind

The player immediately to the left of the small blind normally posts the big blind.

The big blind is usually the larger of the two standard forced wagers.

The blinds create something worth competing for before the hand begins. Without forced bets, players could simply wait indefinitely for extremely strong starting cards.

Some games and tournaments also use antes, which are additional forced contributions. Antes are an important poker concept, but beginners can learn the basic flow of Texas Hold’em by first understanding the small blind and big blind.

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What Are Hole Cards?

Hole cards are the two private cards dealt face down to each player at the beginning of a Texas Hold’em hand.

Only you are supposed to know your own hole cards.

For example, you might receive:

A♠ K♠

Those two cards are also commonly called your starting hand.

Different starting hands have different strengths. A pair of aces is generally a very strong starting hand, while many low, unpaired cards are much weaker.

Learning which starting hands are worth playing is an important strategy topic, but you do not need to memorize detailed starting-hand charts before learning the rules.

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What Are Community Cards?

Community cards are the shared cards dealt face up in the middle of the table.

Every remaining player may use them.

A Texas Hold’em hand can have up to five community cards:

• Three cards on the flop

• One card on the turn

• One card on the river

The five community cards together are commonly called the board.

Because every player shares the same board, you must think about both how the cards help your own hand and what they may allow your opponents to make.

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How Do You Make Your Best Five-Card Poker Hand?

By the river, you may have seven cards available to consider:

• Two hole cards

• Five community cards

Your final hand contains only the best five of those seven cards.

You do not have to use both hole cards.

Suppose your hole cards are:

A♠ K♠

And the final board is:

K♦ 8♣ 5♥ 3♠ 2♣

Your strongest five-card hand is:

K♠ K♦ A♠ 8♣ 5♥

You have one pair, kings.

The ace is also important because it is your highest remaining card outside the pair. A card used to help break a tie between similar hands is called a kicker.

Now imagine the board is:

A♥ A♦ K♣ K♦ Q♠

And your hole cards are:

7♣ 6♣

Your strongest five-card hand is simply:

A♥ A♦ K♣ K♦ Q♠

You do not need either hole card because the five community cards already make your best possible hand.

This best-five-card rule is one of the most important things for a new Texas Hold’em player to understand.

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How a Texas Hold’em Hand Works From Beginning to End

A complete Texas Hold’em hand can include four betting rounds:

• Preflop

• Flop

• Turn

• River

If multiple players remain after the river betting is complete, the hand proceeds to the showdown.

Once you understand this sequence, following a poker hand becomes much easier.

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Preflop: The First Betting Round

Preflop describes the stage after players receive their hole cards but before any community cards are dealt.

First, the small blind and big blind are posted.

Every player then receives two hole cards.

Preflop action normally begins with the active player immediately to the left of the big blind and moves clockwise around the table.

Depending on what has happened before the action reaches you, common choices include:

• Fold

• Call

• Raise

Folding gives up your hand.

Calling means matching the amount currently required to continue.

Raising means increasing that amount.

If nobody raises before the action returns to the big blind, the big blind may normally check because that player has already contributed the full blind amount required to continue.

Once all necessary action has been completed, either one player has won because everyone else folded or the remaining players continue to the flop.

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The Flop: The First Three Community Cards

The flop consists of the first three community cards.

They are dealt face up at the same time.

For example:

K♦ 8♣ 4♠

Every player still in the hand may use these cards.

A new betting round begins.

After the flop, action normally starts with the first active player to the left of the dealer button and proceeds clockwise.

Because there is no automatic bet that must be matched at the start of this betting round, players may be able to check.

If someone bets, the remaining players must decide whether to call, raise, or fold.

Once flop betting is complete, the hand either ends because only one player remains or continues to the turn.

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The Turn: The Fourth Community Card

The turn is the fourth community card.

It is dealt face up after the flop betting round has been completed.

If the flop was:

K♦ 8♣ 4♠

And the turn is:

2♠

The board is now:

K♦ 8♣ 4♠ 2♠

Another betting round follows.

The turn can significantly change the strength of a hand. A player may improve from one pair to two pair, complete a straight or flush, or gain additional ways to improve on the river.

A card that would improve your hand on a future street is often called an out. Counting outs becomes useful when learning poker probabilities, but beginners do not need to calculate them yet.

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The River: The Fifth Community Card

The river is the fifth and final community card.

After the river appears, no more cards will be added to the board.

Every remaining player now knows all of the cards available for making a final five-card hand.

One final betting round takes place.

If a bet or raise causes every opponent to fold, the bettor wins immediately.

If at least two players remain after all river betting is complete, the hand reaches the showdown.

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What Is the Showdown?

The showdown occurs when two or more players remain after the final betting round.

The remaining players reveal their hole cards as required, and their best five-card poker hands are compared.

The player with the strongest five-card hand wins the pot.

For example, if one player has two pair and another has three of a kind, the player with three of a kind wins because three of a kind ranks higher.

If both players have the same type of hand, such as one pair, additional cards may be needed to determine the winner.

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Basic Poker Actions Every Beginner Should Know

Most Texas Hold’em decisions involve six basic actions:

• Check

• Bet

• Call

• Raise

• Fold

• All-in

Understanding these terms makes it much easier to follow the action at a poker table.

Check

To check means to remain in the hand without putting additional chips into the pot.

You can check only when there is no outstanding wager that you must match.

Checking passes the action to the next player.

For example, if you are first to act on the flop and nobody has bet, you may check.

Bet

To bet means to make the first wager during the current betting round.

If everyone checks to you on the flop and you put $10 into the pot, you have bet $10.

Once a bet has been made, the next player generally must fold, call, or raise.

Call

To call means to match the current wager.

If another player bets $10 and you want to continue without raising, you put in $10 to call.

If you do not want to match the wager, you may fold instead.

Raise

To raise means to increase an existing wager.

Suppose another player bets $10 and you increase the total wager to $30.

You have raised.

The exact rules governing legal raise sizes depend on the betting structure and circumstances of the hand. For now, remember that a bet begins the wagering during a betting round, while a raise increases a wager that has already been made.

Fold

To fold means to surrender your hand.

Once you fold, you no longer have any claim to the pot and take no further part in that hand.

Any chips you already put into the pot stay there.

Folding is a normal and important part of poker. Strong players fold many starting hands.

All-In

To go all-in means to commit all of the chips you have remaining.

In No-Limit Texas Hold’em, a player can potentially wager an entire stack when making a legal bet, call, or raise.

Once all-in, that player cannot add more chips to the current hand.

If an all-in player has fewer chips than other players and betting continues between the remaining opponents, the dealer may create a side pot.

A side pot contains additional wagers that the all-in player was unable to match. That player can win only the pot or pots for which they contributed the required chips.

Dealers and online poker software handle side-pot calculations, so a beginner does not need to master that process before playing.

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Texas Hold’em Poker Hand Rankings From Highest to Lowest

Poker hands are ranked according to standard categories.

Learning these rankings is essential because they determine the winner at showdown.

The WSOP poker hand rankings guide provides an additional reference.

From strongest to weakest, the rankings are:

1. Royal Flush

A royal flush consists of:

A-K-Q-J-10

All five cards must be the same suit.

Example:

A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠

A royal flush is the highest possible poker hand.

2. Straight Flush

A straight flush consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Example:

9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥

A higher straight flush beats a lower straight flush.

3. Four of a Kind

Four of a kind contains four cards of the same rank.

Example:

Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ 7♠

Four of a kind is also commonly called quads.

4. Full House

A full house contains three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

Example:

10♠ 10♥ 10♦ 4♣ 4♠

This hand can be described as tens full of fours.

5. Flush

A flush contains five cards of the same suit that do not form a straight flush.

Example:

A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦

If two players have flushes, their highest cards are compared. If those are equal, comparison continues to the next-highest card.

6. Straight

A straight contains five cards in consecutive rank order.

Example:

9♣ 8♦ 7♠ 6♥ 5♣

The suits do not have to match.

An ace can be high in A-K-Q-J-10 or low in 5-4-3-2-A.

It cannot wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.

7. Three of a Kind

Three of a kind contains three cards of the same rank.

Example:

7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 3♠

You may also hear terms such as trips or a set used for different ways of making three of a kind.

8. Two Pair

Two pair contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one remaining card.

Example:

J♠ J♦ 8♣ 8♥ 3♠

This hand is jacks and eights.

9. One Pair

One pair contains two cards of the same rank.

Example:

K♠ K♥ 9♦ 6♣ 2♠

The remaining three cards can matter when breaking a tie.

10. High Card

If your best five cards do not form a pair, straight, flush, or any stronger combination, your hand is ranked by its highest card.

Example:

A♠ J♦ 8♣ 5♥ 2♣

This is ace-high.

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What Happens When Two Players Have the Same Type of Hand?

Two players can have the same category of hand without having equally strong hands.

For example, both players may have one pair.

Suppose Player A has:

A♠ K♠

Player B has:

A♥ Q♥

And the board is:

A♦ 8♣ 7♠ 4♥ 2♣

Both players have one pair: aces.

Player A's best five-card hand contains a pair of aces with a king kicker.

Player B has a pair of aces with a queen kicker.

Player A wins because the king kicker is higher than the queen.

Tie-breaking generally works like this:

• One pair: compare the pair, then the remaining kickers from highest to lowest.

• Two pair: compare the higher pair first, then the lower pair, then the kicker.

• Three of a kind: compare the rank of the three matching cards, then kickers if necessary.

• Straight: the straight ending in the highest card wins.

• Flush: compare the highest card, then continue downward until the tie is broken.

• Full house: compare the three-of-a-kind portion first.

• Four of a kind: compare the rank of the four matching cards, then the kicker if necessary.

• Straight flush: the highest-ending straight flush wins.

• High card: compare the highest card and continue downward until one player has a higher card.

Poker suits are not ranked against one another for determining the winner of a normal Texas Hold’em hand.

Spades do not beat hearts simply because they are spades.

If two or more players have exactly the same best five-card hand, the pot is divided between them.

This is called a split pot or chopped pot.

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How Is a Pot Won?

A Texas Hold’em pot can be won before or at showdown.

Everyone Else Folds

Suppose three players remain on the turn.

You bet.

Both opponents fold.

The hand ends immediately and you win the pot.

Your cards do not need to be shown in an ordinary situation because no opponent remains to challenge you at showdown.

The Best Hand Wins at Showdown

If multiple players remain after the final betting round, their best five-card hands are compared.

The strongest hand wins the pot.

If two or more players have exactly equal five-card hands, the pot is split as evenly as possible.

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A Simple Texas Hold’em Example Hand From Beginning to End

Following a complete example is one of the easiest ways to understand the game.

Imagine a $1/$2 No-Limit Texas Hold’em cash game with four players.

The small blind posts $1.

The big blind posts $2.

You are dealt:

A♠ K♠

Preflop

You raise to $6.

The player on the dealer button calls $6.

The small blind folds.

The big blind folds.

Two players remain.

The hand moves to the flop.

Flop

The dealer puts out:

K♦ 7♠ 2♣

You have paired your king.

Your best hand is currently one pair: kings.

You bet $8.

Your opponent calls $8.

Turn

The turn is:

4♠

The board is now:

K♦ 7♠ 2♣ 4♠

You still have a pair of kings.

You also now have four spades among your hole cards and the community cards. Another spade on the river would give you a flush.

You check.

Your opponent also checks.

No chips are added during this betting round.

River

The river is:

K♣

The final board is:

K♦ 7♠ 2♣ 4♠ K♣

You now have three of a kind: kings.

You bet $20.

Your opponent calls.

Because neither player folds, the hand reaches showdown.

Showdown

You reveal:

A♠ K♠

Your opponent reveals:

K♥ Q♥

Both players can make three kings.

Your best five-card hand is:

K♠ K♦ K♣ A♠ 7♠

Your opponent's best five-card hand is:

K♥ K♦ K♣ Q♥ 7♠

Both players have the same three of a kind, so the first kicker decides the winner.

Your ace kicker beats your opponent's queen.

You win the pot.

This example shows several important parts of Texas Hold’em at once: blinds begin the action, players receive two private cards, betting occurs between community-card stages, hand strength can change as new cards appear, and only the best five cards count at showdown.

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Ring Games vs. Tournament Poker

Texas Hold’em can be played in several formats.

Two of the most common are ring games and tournaments.

A ring game is another name for a cash game.

The rules governing an individual Texas Hold’em hand are largely the same in both formats, but the way chips, blinds, and elimination work is different.

How a Ring Game Works

In a ring game or cash game, chips represent money according to their stated value.

If you have $100 worth of cash-game chips, those chips generally represent $100 at the table.

Players can usually join an available game, buy chips within the permitted limits, and leave when they choose.

If a player loses a stack, that player may normally buy more chips and continue, subject to the rules of the poker room or game.

The blind amounts usually remain the same unless the game itself changes.

How a Poker Tournament Works

In a poker tournament, players pay a buy-in and receive a specified starting stack of tournament chips.

Tournament chips are used to play the event but do not have the same direct cash value as cash-game chips.

The blinds increase according to a tournament schedule.

As play continues, players who lose all of their chips can be eliminated, subject to any re-entry rules that apply.

The tournament eventually produces finishing positions and a winner.

Prize money is awarded according to the tournament's payout structure rather than by exchanging each tournament chip for its face value.

Tournament and cash-game strategy eventually differ in important ways, but beginners should first become comfortable with the basic rules of a Texas Hold’em hand.

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Common Texas Hold’em Beginner Mistakes

Learning the rules is only the beginning.

New players also tend to make several predictable mistakes.

Playing Too Many Starting Hands

You are allowed to fold before the flop.

Beginners often want to see every flop because they are curious about what cards might appear.

The problem is that weak starting cards frequently lead to difficult situations.

One of the first strategic skills to learn is starting-hand selection: deciding which two-card combinations are worth playing.

Calling Because You Already Put Chips in the Pot

Chips already wagered are no longer part of your stack.

Do not continue with a weak hand simply because you invested chips earlier.

Every new decision should be based on the situation you face now.

Forgetting That Only Five Cards Count

You may have seven cards available by the river, but your final poker hand contains only five.

Do not try to create a six- or seven-card poker hand.

Always identify your strongest five-card combination.

Assuming You Must Use Both Hole Cards

Texas Hold’em does not require you to use both private cards.

You may use two, one, or none.

This differs from some other poker variants, so it is an important rule to remember.

Misreading the Board

The community cards are available to everyone.

Do not look only at how the board helps your own hand.

Consider what the same cards may allow your opponents to make.

Overvaluing One Pair

One pair can be a good hand, but it is not automatically a winning hand.

As the board develops, opponents may make two pair, three of a kind, straights, flushes, full houses, or stronger hands.

Confusing a Check With a Call

Checking costs nothing because there is no outstanding wager.

Calling means matching a wager another player has made.

If someone has bet before the action reaches you, you generally cannot simply check.

Acting Before It Is Your Turn

Poker action proceeds in order.

Wait until the players before you have completed their decisions.

Acting out of turn can create confusion and may cause rules issues in a live poker room.

Showing Your Cards Too Early

Keep your hole cards private while the hand is still being played.

Showing them early gives opponents information and can create problems under live poker rules.

Trying to Win Every Hand

Nobody wins every poker hand.

Folding is part of the game.

As you progress into strategy, the goal becomes making better decisions over many hands rather than trying to win every individual pot.

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Basic Texas Hold’em Terms Every Beginner Should Know

Poker has its own vocabulary.

These are some of the most important terms to understand before playing.

Action

Action can refer to a player's turn to make a decision or to the betting taking place during a hand.

If somebody says "the action is on you," it means it is your turn.

All-In

A player is all-in after committing all remaining chips to the hand.

Bet

The first wager made during a betting round.

Big Blind

The larger of the two standard forced wagers posted before hole cards are dealt.

Blinds

Forced wagers placed into the pot before the cards are dealt.

Board

The community cards in the middle of the table.

Button

The dealer button that identifies the dealer position and helps determine the order of action.

Buy-In

The amount required to enter a game or tournament.

Call

Matching the current wager in order to continue.

Check

Passing the action without wagering when there is no outstanding bet to call.

Community Cards

The face-up cards shared by all players.

Flop

The first three community cards.

Fold

Giving up your hand and any claim to the pot.

Hand

The word hand can refer to the cards a player holds or one complete deal of poker from beginning to end.

Heads-Up

A situation involving two players.

Hole Cards

The two private cards dealt to each player in Texas Hold’em.

Kicker

A side card used to break certain ties between otherwise similar hands.

No-Limit

A betting structure in which a player may potentially wager all remaining chips when making a legal bet or raise.

Pot

The collection of chips being contested during a hand.

Preflop

The stage after hole cards are dealt but before the flop.

Raise

Increasing an existing wager.

River

The fifth and final community card.

Showdown

The point at which remaining players compare their hands to determine the winner.

Small Blind

The smaller of the two standard forced blind wagers.

Stack

The chips a player currently has available at the table.

Street

A common term for a stage of the hand. The flop, turn, and river may each be described as streets.

Turn

The fourth community card.

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What Should a Texas Hold’em Beginner Learn Next?

Once you can follow a Texas Hold’em hand from beginning to end without becoming confused, you are ready to begin learning strategy.

Do not try to learn everything at once.

A useful learning order is:

• Memorize the poker hand rankings.

• Learn betting basics in more detail.

• Understand blinds, antes, and the dealer button.

• Learn which starting hands are generally stronger or weaker.

• Learn why position affects poker decisions.

• Study beginner preflop strategy.

• Learn how to evaluate your hand after the flop.

• Learn what poker outs are.

• Learn basic pot odds.

• Study beginner bet sizing.

• Learn the strategic differences between tournaments and ring games.

These concepts eventually connect.

For example, starting-hand strength cannot be evaluated properly without considering position. Outs become more useful once you understand how hands can improve. Pot odds become easier to learn once you understand outs.

The foundation is always the same: understand how the game works first.

Once you are comfortable with the blinds, hole cards, community cards, betting rounds, player actions, hand rankings, and showdown, later strategy lessons will make much more sense.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play Texas Hold’em poker?

Each player receives two private hole cards. Up to five community cards are then dealt across the flop, turn, and river, with betting rounds taking place during the hand. A player can win by making every opponent fold or by showing the best five-card poker hand at showdown.

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How many cards do you get in Texas Hold’em?

Each player receives two private hole cards. Up to five community cards are also dealt, giving a player as many as seven cards to consider when choosing a final five-card hand.

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Do you have to use both hole cards in Texas Hold’em?

No. You may use both hole cards, one hole card, or neither hole card. Your final hand is simply the strongest five-card combination available.

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How many cards make your final poker hand?

Exactly five cards. Even though as many as seven cards may be available, only the best five-card combination determines your hand.

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What is the best hand in Texas Hold’em?

A royal flush is the highest possible hand. It consists of an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit.

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What is the lowest poker hand ranking?

High card is the lowest hand category. It applies when your best five cards do not form a pair or any stronger poker hand.

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Does a flush beat a straight?

Yes. A flush ranks higher than a straight.

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Does three of a kind beat two pair?

Yes. Three of a kind ranks above two pair.

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What happens if two players have the same pair?

The remaining cards in their five-card hands are compared. These side cards are called kickers. If one player has a higher kicker, that player wins. If all five cards are equal in value, the pot is split.

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Do suits break ties in Texas Hold’em?

No. Standard Texas Hold’em does not rank one suit above another when deciding who wins a hand.

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What is the difference between a bet and a raise?

A bet is the first wager made during a betting round. A raise increases a wager that has already been made.

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What is the difference between checking and calling?

Checking means remaining in the hand without adding chips when there is no outstanding wager. Calling means matching an existing wager.

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Can you win a poker hand without showing your cards?

Yes. If every other player folds, you win the pot without needing to prove that you had the best hand.

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What does all-in mean in poker?

All-in means a player has committed all remaining chips to the hand. The player can no longer make additional wagers but remains eligible to win the pot or pots for which that player contributed chips.

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What is preflop in Texas Hold’em?

Preflop is the stage after players receive their hole cards and before the flop is dealt. It is the first betting round.

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What is the flop?

The flop is the first three community cards, dealt face up after the preflop betting round.

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What is the turn?

The turn is the fourth community card, dealt after the flop betting round.

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What is the river?

The river is the fifth and final community card.

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What is the showdown?

The showdown occurs when multiple players remain after the final betting round. Their best five-card hands are compared and the strongest hand wins the pot.

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What is the difference between tournament poker and a ring game?

A ring game is a cash game in which chips represent cash value and players can generally enter or leave according to the game's rules. In a tournament, players receive tournament chips, blinds increase over time, players can be eliminated, and prizes are awarded according to finishing position.

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Is Texas Hold’em difficult to learn?

The basic rules are relatively straightforward once you understand the sequence of blinds, hole cards, preflop, flop, turn, river, and showdown. Becoming a strong player takes much longer because poker strategy involves learning starting hands, position, betting, odds, and how to respond to different situations.

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What should I learn after the Texas Hold’em rules?

Start with poker hand rankings, betting basics, starting hands, blinds and position, and beginner preflop strategy. After those fundamentals are comfortable, concepts such as outs, pot odds, and bet sizing become much easier to understand.