Want to try your hand at Texas Holdem poker? We can’t blame you. This game, after all, is the most popular poker variant out there. Almost every poker platform offers it, from casinos to live tournaments and online poker sites like GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room.
You’ve probably also seen Texas Holdem play on television shows or movies. Often, these portrayals make the game look tense, exciting, and to some extent, complicated, especially with all the jargon and mind games.
If the latter has made you doubt your capacity to play the game, we’re here to tell you they don’t have to. Like any poker type, Texas Holdem is a game you can learn in phases and master with time.
For now, try to free your mind of preconceived ideas or fears and focus on learning the Texas Holdem poker basics. You can develop your skills and strategy with more sophisticated and advanced techniques as you gain more poker experience. What’s crucial for now is to learn the basics of how to play Texas Holdem to help you get started.
Game Overview
Texas Holdem is a community card game that involves anywhere from two to 10 players. The goal is to make the best five-card hand by using any combination of the two cards dealt to each player (or their “hole cards”) and the five community cards placed on the table face up for everyone to use.
The number of hole cards dealt and the presence of community cards set Texas Holdem apart from other poker variants like draw or stud poker. Players are dealt a complete hand in the latter types and can’t use any community cards.
Texas Holdem Hands
In Texas Holdem, you can make nine different types of hands using your two hole cards and the five community cards. Here’s a list of the game’s best poker hands in order:
The order of poker hands in Texas Holdem is similar to that of other poker types. The player with the highest poker card combination at the end of the game wins the pot. In the event of a tie—that is, if two or more players have the same hand—they will be ranked according to the value of their highest card. So, if two players have a flush, the player with the highest card in their flush will win.
Betting Structure
There are four betting rounds in Texas Holdem. These rounds also correspond to the game’s stages where new community cards are dealt:
Players can choose to check, call, raise, or fold at every street or betting round based on how their hands are playing out and how they think their opponents’ hands are shaping up, too.
If more than one player is still in the hand after the final betting round, they go to a showdown where the player with the best hand wins.
Betting Sequence
Texas Holdem poker includes blinds, which are forced bets that ensure every hand has some action or at least something to fight for. The game has two blinds: the small blind and the big blind.
The small blind is usually half the size of the big blind, although this can vary based on the stakes being played and the house rules of the casino or poker room. The player to the dealer’s immediate left is typically the one who posts the small blind, while the player to their left posts the big blind. The size of these blinds also determines the minimum bet for each round.
Both blinds are paid at the start of the game before any cards are dealt. For the rest of the game, the betting order goes as follows:
Pre-flop
The player to the big blind’s direct left bets first. The action goes clockwise around the table until it circles back to the big blind, who is the last to bet.
Flop to River
The small blind or the player to the dealer’s direct left bets first, followed by the player to their left and so on in a clockwise direction.
Betting Limits
A Texas Holdem game can either be fixed-limit, pot-limit or no-limit. A fixed-limit Holdem game limits how much players can bet at each stage of the hand. Pot-limit and no-limit games don’t have betting limits but instead allow players to bet as much as the pot (pot-limit) or their entire stack (no-limit).
The three betting structures also differ in the number of raises allowed. In a fixed-limit game, for example, there can only be a certain number of raises (usually three) before the betting is “capped” or stopped. There are no limits on the number of raises in pot-limit and no-limit games.
A straightforward and accessible game
There you have it, the essential Texas Holdem poker rules. Contrary to what most might think, this community card game is easy to learn with its simple, clear-cut rounds and instructions. Of course, you’ll need to strategize and modify your play based on critical factors such as table dynamics and your opponents’ playing styles. But these are the rules at the game’s core, the guidelines that will keep you on track in every Texas Holdem game you play.
Now that you know how to play Texas Holdem poker, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test and give it a try! GGPoker hosts round-the-clock Texas Holdem matches. Sign up for an account to start playing.