Texas Hold’em Rules
Learn how to play the world’s most popular poker game.
Texas Hold’em is one of the easiest learnt poker games. Read this page to learn how to play and the ins and outs of playing online. In no time you will be ready to start playing and winning with Texas Hold’em software.
Betting Structures
There are three different betting structures for Online Texas Hold’em Poker which should be understood before playing:
Limit Texas Hold’em Poker
In these games, the size of the bet is fixed on each street. For example, in a $1/$2 Texas Hold’em game, bets are increased by $1 before and after the flop and by $2 on the turn and the river (the terms flop, turn and river are all explained below). This structure is recommended for beginners.
Pot Limit Texas Hold’em Poker
In these games the maximum bet at anytime is equal to the amount of money in the pot
No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker
In these games there is normally no maximum bet, however, there is normally a minimum.
How To Play Texas Hold’ em Poker Online
The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds
A table will consist of up to ten players and a virtual dealer. As the cards are dealt by a virtual dealer, a dealer button exists next to one of the players. This button moves in a clockwise direction around the table, the button signifies which player should be treated as the dealer in determining betting order. The virtual dealer’s only role in the game is to deal the cards.
The structure of a round:
Posting the Blinds: The game begins with the two players to the left of dealer posting the “blinds”. A blind is a bet placed before the cards are dealt, this way it is guaranteed that there is money to be won in the pot. There is a “small blind” and a “big blind”. The “small blind” is placed by the player on the immediate left of the dealer button, it is usually equal to half of the minimum bet, the “big blind” is placed by the player to the left of the small blind, it is usually equal to the minimum bet.
Pocket Cards: The first cards of the round are then dealt, each player receives two face down cards known as pocket cards.
Betting Round 1: Each player, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind, can fold, check, call or raise (for details on these terms see below). Apart from in Pot Limit and No Limit games (as explained below), raising is normally possible by the minimum bet.
The Flop Cards: Following the first betting round, three cards known as the “flop” are dealt face up to the middle of the table. These cards can be used by any player to make up a hand and are therefore known as “community” cards.
Betting Round 2: This works in the same way as the first betting round.
The Turn Card: A fourth “community” card known as the “turn card” is then dealt face up to the middle of the table.
Betting Round 3: This is like the first and second betting round with the exception that raising is now only possible by higher table stake.
The River Card: The final “community” card known as the “river card” is dealt before the final round of betting.
Betting Round 4: This round works in the same way as the third.
The Showdown: During the showdown you have two options, if you can see that you have lost the hand you can “muck” your cards, this allows you to discard your cards without revealing them to the other players, the other option is to “show” and compare your hand. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. As mentioned above, both pocket and community cards can be used to make a hand. If the best hand consists of only community cards then the pot is divided by all players who are taking part in the showdown.
Let’s Go Again: After a round is complete, the software will move the dealer button one player to the left and the next hand begins.
Do you know the Language of Online Texas Hold’em?
If you do not understand terms such as fold, call, check, bet or raise explanations can be found on the Basic Bets page.
Hand Rankings
Understanding poker hand rankings is imperative to winning, see are Hand Rankings page for information.
