Texas Hold'em Rules For Play

Texas hold'em poker is a card game. It is played with a typical 52 card deck. You can find it in countries all around the world in casinos to cardrooms, online and in home games. Hold'em can be played with as little as two players (going "heads up"), up to a max of eleven players. Regular poker hand ranks apply to this game.

The typical hold'em game goes as follows and is broken down into five categories. I have intentionally simplified betting and the blinds so not to over complicate the article. Betting structure can be read more about here:

Starting with the dealer button, each person is dealt one card. Then a second card. Both cards are face down. After everyone receives their pocket/hole cards (the two cards face down just dealt), then betting occurs. Note: the dealer button is a actually a button that says "dealer" on it or "d" that is passed around the table after each hand. It signifies where the dealing is done from.

The dealer turns over three cards in the middle of the table (called "the flop"). These are community cards that each player can use to create the best hand possible out of. Once again betting occurs.

The dealer turns over another card making four community cards. This fourth card is called "the turn" or sometimes "fourth street". Betting occurs again.

The dealer turns over the fifth and last community card. This is called "the river" or "fifth street". Betting occurs for the last time.

Texas Holdem Freeroll Guide

The remaining players in the hand show their cards in order from the person who bet first. Each player uses his two cards, and the five community cards to create the best hand (5 cards total). A player can use any combination so even if one card from his pocket cards and four of the community cards creates the best hand, it is fine. When all five of the cards in the community make the best hand then everyone splits the pot. This is called "the board plays". Also note that in any time during the game a player can fold and get out of the hand. All bets will be lost at that point.

The following is a list of texas hold'em poker hand rankings from the strongest (Royal Flush) to the weakest (High Card Seven). If you're looking for starting hand information, see our starting hand guide!

The hand ranking is the most basic element of the texas hold'em rules, and the first thing you should learn before you start playing the game. If you don't know what beats what, your poker game won't be a very enjoyable experience. The texas hold'em hand ranking is the same as in other common poker games, such as Seven Card Stud, Omaha and Draw Poker.

You should keep in mind that all the suits have exactly the same value in Texas Hold'em and other poker games. Consequently, a flush of spades is worth just as much as a flush of hearts or a flush of diamonds.

Another important concept is the kicker. The kicker is used when two players have made the same poker hand, for example a pair of aces. In a case like that, the player with the highest side card wins the pot. One player might have a king in his hand while the other one has a queen - the player with the king in his hand wins the pot.

Royal Straight Flush         This is the daddy of all hands and even if you play often, you will rarely see one. It's similar to a hole in one in golf. It is made of up all of the same suite, ten through Ace. It is a straight and a flush and the royal part comes from it being made up of the highest cards too.        

As, Ks, Qs, Js, Ts

Straight Flush         While not as magical as the royal straight flush, the straight flush still is a rariety. It is made up of 5 cards of the same suite ranked in succession. For example 6-10, or A-5 (Ace can play both high and low in straights).        

Jc, Tc, 9c, 8c, 7c

Four Of A Kind         This is self-explanatory. A four of a kind ocurrs when you have all the cards of one type.        

Ks, Kd, Kc, Kh

Full House         A full house happens when you have both three of a kind and also a pair. To determine if one full house higher ranked then another, first look at the three cards of the same kind. The one that is larger wins. If they both are the same then you'll have to compare the two cards. For example: Jacks full of fours (JJJ, 44) beats 9s full of Aces (999, AA) Jacks full of tens (JJJ, TT) beats Jacks full of nines (JJJ, 99) Full houses in texas hold'em are nice hands and you will most likely see someone show one down everytime you play.        

Jc, Jd, Jh, 9c, 9h

Flush         A flush occurs when you have five of the same suite. If the cards were also in succession (like a straight), then it would be a straight flush. To determine which flush wins if there are more then one in a hand, then the person with the highest card in their hand wins. In the example to the right, the person has a ten high flush. This would beat someone with a nine high flush and below. Flushes are pretty common in hold'em.        

Th, 8h, 4h, 3h, 2h

Straight         A straight occurs when a player has five cards in ranked succession. Note that an Ace can play both as a high card or a low card. Note the two examples to the right. Straights are also very common in hold'em.        

Ah, Kc, Qd, Jd, Th

Ah, 2c, 3h, 4h, 5c

Three Of A Kind         Three of a kind is a nice hand. There are two different names for three of a kind hands and it depends on whether you have two of them on the board, or a pair in your hand. They both rank the same but to be a savy player you should know the difference. If you have a pocket pair and hit one on the flop then it is called a "set". If you have two cards on the flop and only one in your hand then it is called three of a kind.        

8h, 8d, 8c, 9d, Ad

Two Pair         Two pair is when your best five cards create a pair twice. That seems easy enough right? When comparing two hands both with two pair then the larger one always wins. For example:

AA 22 would beat KK JJ

88 33 would beat 77 66        

Kh, Kd, Qh, Qd, 3c

One Pair         One pair is the hand you'll be getting the most and trying to win with the most. Top pair is usually the hand you'll be betting and trying to win some pots with. When more then one person has the same pair, then the "kickers" come in to play. Remember texas hold'em uses the best five cards so the following is true: Ah, Ac, Jc, 6d, 4d would lose to

Ad, As, Jd, 6c, 5d Notice how the 5 beats the 4 (best five cards makes a hand).        

Kh, Kd, 8s, 6d, 5c

High Card         The high card hand is the lowest non pair hand. Sometimes Ace high can win, but in the low limit games it is very rare. In the example to the right, the high card is K. So you would have "king high". You would beat someone if they had "queen high" or below but even a pair of deuces would beat you!        

Kh, Tc, 4c, 3d, 2h