02 Aug 2025 Beginner This material is for beginner players Poker is a popular card game played by millions of people around the world, and the most famous version is Texas Hold’em. But before you start playing, it’s important to learn the rules and understand how the game works. This guide will explain the basic rules and steps of Texas Hold’em in a simple way, so you can quickly learn how to play and start enjoying the game, whether with friends or online. Deck and Dealing Cards Texas Hold’em is played with a standard 52-card deck. The dealer then gives two private (hole) cards face down to each player. After the betting rounds, the dealer puts five community cards face up in the center of the table — first three (the flop), then one (the turn), then one more (the river). Hole cards vs community cards Hole cards: Two private cards each player receives. Only you can see your hole cards. Community cards: Five cards dealt face up in the middle of the table. All players can use the community cards to make the best five-card hand. Main goal of the game The main goal of poker is to win chips from your opponents by either having the best hand at showdown or making them fold before the showdown. Players use chips instead of cash to make bets, calls, and raises during the game. Each chip has a value, and different colors often mean different amounts. At the start of the game, every player gets a certain number of chips. The goal is to win more chips from other players by playing hands and making good decisions. Chips make it easy to keep track of bets and winnings at the table. You do this by either making the strongest hand at the table or by getting other players to fold their cards before the end of the hand. The player who wins the hand takes all the chips in the pot. Poker Hand Rankings In poker, the term "hand" can have two different meanings: a hand is the group of cards you are holding in a game. a hand is also one full round of game, from the deal to the end, when someone wins the pot. So, when you hear the word “hand” in poker, it can mean the cards you have, or it can mean one round of play from start to finish. In Texas Hold’em, each player gets two private cards (hole cards). During the hand, five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. To make your final hand, you combine your two hole cards with the five community cards. You must use the best combination of five cards out of these seven cards. You can use both, one, or even none of your hole cards — whatever makes the strongest five-card hand. Here are the poker hand rankings (from strongest to weakest) Hand Name Description Example Royal Flush A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit Straight Flush Five cards in a row, same suit Four of a Kind Four cards of the same rank Full House Three of one rank, two of another rank Flush Five cards of the same suit Straight Five cards in a row, any suits Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank Two Pair Two pairs of different ranks One Pair Two cards of the same rank High Card None of the above; highest single card wins Poker Table Setup Here are the main things you will see at a typical online poker table: Seats: Every player has a seat at the table. Usually, there are 2 to 9 players at one table. Dealer (Button): This is a round button that shows which player is the dealer for the current hand. The button determines the order of action at the table. Being on the button is the best position because you act last in most betting rounds. The button moves clockwise after every hand. Small Blind (SB): The player to the left of the button must place the small blind bet before the cards are dealt. Big Blind (BB): The next player to the left puts in the big blind, which is usually twice the size of the small blind. Blinds are needed to make sure there is always something to play for in every hand. Without blinds, players could just wait for the best cards and never put any chips into the pot. Community Cards: These are the cards in the center of the table. All players use these cards to make their best five-card poker hand. Chips: These are used for betting. You can see your own chips and the other players’ chips on the screen. Betting Buttons: There are buttons on the screen you can click to bet, check, call, raise, or fold. How a Poker Hand Is Played (Step-by-Step) A poker hand is played in several stages (called betting rounds, or streets). Each street has its own actions and rules. Below find a step-by-step guide to what happens from the start of the hand to the end. Learning these steps will help you understand how a typical Texas Hold’em hand works—from posting the blinds and dealing the cards to the final showdown. Blinds Are Posted At the start of the hand, the two players to the left of the dealer (button) post the blinds. The first player puts in the small blind. The next player puts in the big blind. In poker, it is common to count the size of the pot in big blinds (bb). So after the blinds are posted, the pot already has 1.5bb in it. Cards Are Dealt The dealer gives two private cards (hole cards) to each player. The cards are face down. Only you can see your own cards. This stage (betting round, or street) of the hand is called the preflop. A street is a term used to describe each stage or round in a hand when a new card (or group of cards) is dealt or a new betting round begins. In Texas Hold’em, the streets are: preflop, flop, turn, and river. Each street represents a different phase of the hand. 1. First Betting Round — Preflop Starting with the player to the left of the big blind, each player can: Fold (throw away their cards and end their participation in this hand) Call (add 0.5 bb) Raise (increase the size of the previous bet or raise) The action goes clockwise around the table. Betting continues until all active players have put the same amount of chips in the pot or folded. 2. Second Betting Round — Flop The flop is the second stage of a poker hand in Texas Hold’em. During the flop, the dealer puts three community cards face up in the center of the table. All players can use these three cards, together with their two hole cards, to make the best five-card poker hand. After the flop cards are dealt, another round of betting begins. It starts with the first active player to the left of the dealer. Players can check, bet, call, raise, or fold. And again, betting continues until all active players have put the same amount of chips in the pot or have folded. 3. Third Betting Round — Turn The dealer adds a fourth community card to the table. This card is called the turn. Another round of betting happens, with the same options as before. 4. Fourth (final) Betting Round — River The dealer puts the fifth and last community card face up on the table. This card is called the river. This is the last round of betting. Players have the same choices as in previous streets. Showdown If more than one player is left after the last betting round, it’s time for the showdown. All remaining players show their cards. The player with the best five-card hand (using any combination of their two cards and the five community cards), according to the hand rankings table above, wins the pot. If everyone else folds at any stage, the last remaining player wins the pot and doesn’t have to show their cards. Pot Is Awarded and Next Hand Begins The winner gets all the chips in the pot. The button moves one seat to the left, blinds are posted again, and the next hand starts. Cash Games vs. Tournaments Poker can be played in different formats, but the two most popular are cash games and tournaments. Each format has its own rules, structure, and style of play. Understanding the differences between cash games and tournaments will help you choose the type of poker that suits you best and improve your overall game. Cash Game A cash game is a type of poker where chips represent real money. Each chip has a real cash value. For example, a $1 chip is worth $1. There is usually a minimum and maximum amount you can bring to the table. Each hand is played separately. You can leave the table or join a new one whenever you want. The chips you have in front of you are real money. If you lose your chips, you can buy more and keep playing. The goal is to win chips (money) from other players. There is no final winner — every hand is a chance to win or lose money. Tournament A poker tournament is a competition where players pay an entry fee and receive tournament chips. These chips have no cash value; they are only used to play in the tournament. All players start with the same amount of chips, and the tournament continues until one player wins all the chips. If you lose all your chips, you are out of the tournament. In some tournaments, you can re-enter or rebuy, but usually, you get just one chance. The tournament ends when one player has all the chips. The top finishers get prizes, which can be cash or tickets to other tournaments. The size of the prizes depends on how many people entered. You cannot leave the tournament and take your chips with you. You must play until you are eliminated or become the winner.
