Rules of Texas Hold’em Poker

Texas Holdem looks like a complicated game but it’s actually quite easy once you get the general idea. The easiest way to learn is to have a friend give you a quick overview of the rules and then let you sit in and watch a few hands. But if you don’t have the luxury of friends available right at the moment, this rules article should do the trick.

The dealer’s button

The dealer’s button is the starting point for each hand of poker. This is a simple flat disc that represents the dealer each hand. In games in which there is a full-time dealer, the dealer’s button moves one spot to the left at the beginning of each hand. The purpose of the dealer’s button is to signify position and give people a reference point for paying the blinds each hand.

1. Two players post the blinds

The blinds are small antes that the two players to the left of the dealer have to post. As the dealer’s button moves around the table, every person at the table will have a chance to pay the blinds.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer is the small blind and he usually pays an amount equal to half the minimum bet. In a $1/$2 no limit game, the minimum bet is $2 so the small blind would pay $1. The big blind sits to the left of the small blind and pays one minimum bet. In that same $1/$2 game, the big blind would pay $2.

2. Preflop Play

Each player is dealt two cards face down and there is a round of betting.

This is called the “preflop” round because the flop hasn’t been dealt yet. After the players have received their cards and had a chance to look at them, the betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. The players may call, fold, bet or raise when it becomes their turn. If any player bets or raises, the other players must either match that bet or fold.

3. The Flop – 3 cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table

First, the dealer discards the top card in the deck. This is called “burning the card” and it’s done in case anyone has accidentally seen the top card and to prevent cheating. After the burn card has been discarded, the dealer deals three cards face up in the middle of the table.

These three cards are called the “Flop” and they are community cards. They can be used by any and all of the players in combination with their hole cards to form the best 5 card poker hand possible. This is also sometimes called “Third Street.”

After the flop has been dealt, there’s a round of betting. This time the betting action begins with the first player to the left of the dealer. The players may check, bet, raise, call and fold. If any player makes a bet or raise, the other players at the table must at least match that bet or fold their hands.

4. The Turn

Another card is burned off the top of the deck and then the Turn card is dealt. This is sometimes called “Fourth Street” and this card is also a community card just like the cards on the flop.

There is another round of betting round identical to the previous betting round.

5. The River

One more card is burned off the top of the deck and the River card is dealt. This is sometimes called “Fifth Street” and this is the last community card.

There is one more round of betting identical to the previous round.

6. The Showdown

Any players remaining in the hand after the last betting round now reveal their cards. The player with the best 5 card poker hand, using any combination of his hole cards and the community cards, wins the pot.

In making this hand, the players may use two, one or none of his hole cards. If a player doesn’t use any of his hole cards, this is called “playing the board.”

Best Poker Site for Texas Holdem

There are quite a few poker sites to choose from when it comes to Texas Holdem. The absolute best poker site is probably PokerStars because it offers the greatest number of tables at all times. There are still some other great sites, however, so you might just want to check my Poker Site Reviews page instead.

1. PokerStars

PokerStars is a great place to get started with Texas Holdem. The table stakes range from mere pennies all the way up to thousands of dollars. In addition to that, every new player can get a $50 sign up bonus.

Click here to get started at PokerStars now.