In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to play a hand of Texas Hold'em poker from start to finish. You'll learn the rankings of hands, the position of the blinds, how the five community cards come into play, the betting rounds and sequence of action, and how winners are determined.
Texas Hold'em is the world's most popular form of poker. This guide will teach you the basic rules and strategies to start playing winning poker hands:
The first key step is to memorize the various poker hand rankings. This gives you the ability to read board textures and determine the relative strength of your hole cards. There are 10 distinct poker hand rankings, ranging from a Royal Flush as the best possible hand, down to a high card when you don't make any pair or better.
Print out a ranking cheat sheet and study it repeatedly until you have it committed to memory. Being able to instantly recognize potential hands will pay dividends when you start playing.
Blinds are mandatory bets that two players at the table must pay before any cards are dealt. They are meant to drive action and incentivize players to compete for the pot. The two players immediately to the left of the dealer button pay the 'small blind' and 'big blind' before being dealt cards. As the dealer button rotates clockwise around the table after each hand, you'll alternate paying blinds to keep gameplay flowing.
1. Each player is dealt two private 'hole' cards that only they can see.
2. Five "community cards" are dealt face up on the board for all players to use.
3. Betting occurs before the flop (preflop), on the flop, on the turn, and on the river.
4. Remaining players turn over their cards for 'showdown' after the river.
5. The player with the best 5-card hand wins using any combo of hole cards and community cards.
The sequence dictates the options available to you such as checking, betting, raising, calling or folding. Misunderstanding the sequence can lead to rule violations if you act improperly. Knowing the sequence also helps you project the action ahead by several streets, a key skill in poker.
Mastering five core actions is key to succeeding in poker. Knowing when to employ each one based on the game situation and opponents is how skilled players maximize profits and minimize losses.
Bet
To bet is to place chips in the pot on your turn before anyone else has bet that round. Betting opens up the action and typically can't be done if another player has already bet that round. Bet sizing can be used to gather information or drive out opponents.
Check
Checking means declining to bet and passing your turn to the next player. You can only check if no one has yet bet that round. Checking could be used to encourage bluffs or disguise the strength of your hand.
Call
Calling matches the amount of chips a previous player has bet that round. If a player bets 5 chips, you must call 5 to stay in the hand. Calling indicates you want to see the next card for the price of the bet.
Raise
Raising means not only calling a previous bet, but also increasing the bet size. If the bet is 5 chips, you could raise it to 20 chips total. Raising builds the pot and applies pressure to opponents.
Fold
Folding means throwing away your hand and sitting out the remainder of the deal. You forfeit any equity in the pot when you fold. Folding is done when you believe you are beaten or want to avoid further losses.
Texas Hold'em is most commonly played in two distinct formats - cash games and tournaments. While the goal is the same - to win pots and make money - the rules and strategies between the two formats vary significantly. New poker players often struggle to grasp the nuances of when to choose cash games versus tournaments, and how to adjust their style of play for each game type.
Cash Games:
- You can sit down and leave the table whenever you want.
- You can rebuy chips anytime you lose your stack.
- The blinds stay at the same amount the entire game.
Tournaments:
- You must register during the posted registration period before play starts.
- You play until you lose all your chips or win the entire tournament.
- No rebuys are permitted except at select major events.
- Blinds increase at predetermined intervals.
Now that you understand the basics, it's time to find a poker game and practice! Study fundamental poker strategy guides to take your game to the next level. With experience under your belt, you'll be a winning Texas Hold'em player in no time.
