Hold’em is the world’s most popular variety of poker played in many casinos. Texas Hold’em is a seven card poker game with simple rules that a beginner can easily learn and begin to play immediately. It is commonly said that “Texas Hold’em poker takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.”

The rules are quite simple; most hands of poker begin by some form of forced betting. Two players to the left of the dealer placing out a predetermined amount of money. Texas Hold’em is played with two blinds, a bet before the pocket cards are received. The idea is to make the best five-card poker hand from the seven available in any combination of community and hole cards.

The Button

The button is a disc placed in front of a player and signifies who is the dealer for that hand. In the casino and in online poker tables, the dealer is a professional or a computer. The button moves clockwise around the table after each hand, and the player “on the button” gets his cards last and bets last in each round.

The Blinds

In Texas Hold’em poker game, there are two forced bets called the blinds, the big blind and the small blind. The big blind (player on the left) is usually the same amount as the little bet and the small blind (the player on the immediate left of the dealer) is half the number of chips of the big blind. The games begin with two players to the left of the dealer putting a predetermined amount of money into the pot before any cards are dealt. After each hand the button progresses one place to the left, and so do both the blinds.

First Round: Pre Flop and Dealing the Cards

Each player is dealt two “pocket or hole” cards, face down with the player on the small blind receiving the first card and the player with the dealer button getting the last card. The player must decide if they are in or out of the hand. Betting will go in sequence starting from the first player to the left of the dealer, and continue round the table in a clockwise fashion until all bets have been matched.

Second Round: The Flop

The flop is three cards laid face up in the center of the table. These cards serve as community cards, meaning they are shared by all the players and may form part of anyone’s hand. Another round of betting ensues, with the first remaining player to the left of the button starting the action.

Third Round: The Turn

The turn card, also called Fourth Street is dealt face up in the center of the table and becomes another community card. Another round of betting then ensues, the players who remain after this round of betting will then see the final card.

Fourth and Final Round: The River

The final card is the river, also called fifth street is dealt face up in the center of the table; bringing the total number of community cards face up on the board to five. A final round of betting occurs, starting with the first player remaining to the left of the button.

The Showdown

Once all betting has been completed, a showdown occurs in which the winner is determined by the best five card hand possible using the five community cards and each players’ pocket cards. In the event of player’s poker hands being the same, the poker pot will be equally divided between the players.

The button now moves clockwise to the next player and a new hand begins.

The Winning Hand

Royal Flush
Highest poker hand. It consists of AKQJT all in the same suit.

Straight Flush
Five cards of the same suit in sequence. Ex. 76543 hearts or 5432A, the lowest straight flush.

Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank accompanied by a kicker.
Ex. 44442
ranked by the quads so that 44442 beats 3333K.

Full House
Three cards of one rank accompanied by two of another.
Ex. 777JJ
ranked by the trips so that 44422 beats 333AA.

Flush
Five cards of the same suit.
Ex. AJ942 of hearts.
Ranked by the top card, and then by the next card, so that AJ942 beats AJ876.

Straight
Five cards in sequence
Ex. 76543.
The ace plays either high or low, making AKQJT and 5432A

Three of a kind - three cards of the same rank and two kickers of different ranks.
Ex. KKK84
Ranked by the trips, so that KKK84 beats QQQAK, but QQQAK beats QQQA7.

Two pairs
Two cards of one rank, two cards of another and a kicker of a third rank
Ex. KK449.
Ranked by the top pair, then the bottom pair and finally the kicker, so that KK449 beats any QQJJAA, KK22Q, and KK445.

One pair
Two cards of one rank accompanied by three kickers of different ranks
Ex. AAK53
Ranked by the pair, followed by each kicker in turn, so that Aak53 beats AAK52.

High card
Any hand that does not qualify as one of the better hands
Ex. KJ542 of mixed suits.
Ranked by the top card, then the second card and so on, as for flushes.