How to play Texas Hold'em: A complete guide to the rules for beginners

Welcome to the world of the most popular card game on the planet! Millions, from Hollywood stars to financial geniuses, love Texas Hold'em for its unique blend of luck, skill, and psychology. At first glance, the game may seem complicated, but don't worry. This is the most complete and understandable step-by-step guide, after reading which you will confidently know the rules of Texas Hold'em and be able to play your first hand.

The Aim of the Game and Basic Concepts 

Before we dive into the gameplay, let's clarify the main objective and basic terminology.

• Objective: Win the pot. The pot is all the chips that players put in during a hand. You can achieve this goal in two ways:

  1. Have the best five-card hand at showdown.

  2. Make all your opponents fold before the showdown.

• Chips: The play money used for betting.

• Pot: The sum of all chips bet by players in one hand.

• Hand: The full cycle of play from the deal of cards to determining the winner.

Step 1: Table Positions and the Dealer's Role (Button) 

The order of play in poker is very important. It is determined by the players' positions concerning the dealer's chip — the button. The play always moves clockwise.

• Button (D): A white chip with the letter "D". It merely indicates the nominal dealer for the hand and sets the order of bidding. After each hand, the button moves one player clockwise.

• Small Blind (SB): The next player clockwise from the button.

• Big Blind (BB): The second player clockwise from the button.

[Image: A schematic image of a 9-seat poker table with clearly marked positions D (Button), SB (Small Blind), and BB (Big Blind).]

Step 2: Mandatory Bets (Blinds) 

To ensure there is always money in the pot and players have an incentive to fight for it, Hold'em includes mandatory blind bets. These are placed by the two players to the left of the button, even before they see their cards.

• The Small Blind (SB) places half the minimum bet.

• The Big Blind (BB) places the full minimum bet.

For example, if the blinds level in a tournament is 100/200, the small blind places 100 chips, and the big blind places 200.

Step 3: Dealing Cards 

After the blinds are placed, the dealer gives out two down-facing cards to each player. These are called "hole" or "starting" cards. Only you can see them. All subsequent play revolves around the strength of these two cards and how they combine with community cards on the table.

[Image: A first-person view where a player gently lifts the corners of two hole cards to look at them. For example, they could be two aces (A♠ A♥).]

Step 4: Betting Rounds – How the Game Progresses 

This is the heart of the game. The entire poker game is divided into four betting rounds or "streets".

 1. Pre-flop – First Betting Round 

This is the first round of betting, which happens right after the hole cards are dealt. The first player to act is the one sitting to the left of the big blind. They have three options:

• Fold: Discard your cards. You are no longer involved in the hand.

• Call: Match the previous bet (on the pre-flop, this is the amount of the big blind). This action is also known as "limp," and for beginners, this strategy is highly discouraged.

• Raise: Increase the bet. The minimum raise is usually twice the big blind.

Betting continues around the table until all active players have matched the highest bet or folded.

[Image: Diagram with three icons and brief explanations: "Fold", "Call", "Raise".]

2. Flop – Three Community Cards 

Once the first round of betting is complete, the dealer "burns" a card (removes the top card from the deck face down, relevant in live poker for fraud prevention) and lays out three community cards face-up. This is the flop.

The second round of betting begins. The first to act is the player in the small blind. Now players have a new action available: Check — pass the turn to the next player. This is only possible if no bets have been made in the current round. If someone has bet, the "Check" option disappears, and you can only Fold, Call or Raise.

3. Turn – Fourth Community Card 

Another card is burned (in live games), and the fourth community card — the turn — is dealt face up. The third round of betting occurs with the same rules as the flop.

4. River – Fifth Community Card 

The final, fifth community card — the river — is dealt face up. The final round of betting occurs.

Step 5: Showdown 

If two or more players are still in the game after the river, a showdown occurs.

• Who shows their cards first? The first to reveal their cards is the one who made the last aggressive action (bet or raise) on the final active betting street. If everyone checked on the river, the first to show cards is the player to the left of the button.

• How is the winner determined? Each player forms the best five-card combination using any 5 of the 7 available cards (2 hole and 5 community). The player with the strongest hand wins the pot.

• The importance of the kicker: If two players have identical combinations, the winner is determined by the rank of the next card — the kicker.

Key Rules and Poker Etiquette

• Act in turn. Acting prematurely can give other players information.

• Don't show your cards. Until the showdown, your cards are a secret.

• Keep chips visible (important for live play). Your chips should be in neat stacks in front of you.

• Don't discuss the hand. Refrain from commenting until the hand is over.

FAQ

What is all-in? 

This is a bet of all your chips. You can either bet all your chips or call an amount equal to your stack if the opponent's bet is larger.

Can my hole cards become irrelevant? 

Yes. If the best five-card combination is made from the five community cards (for example, the board shows a Royal Flush), then your hole cards are irrelevant, and the pot is split among all remaining players.

What happens if multiple players have the same hands? 

If the five-card hands (including all kickers) are completely identical, the pot is split equally among those players (split pot).

How many chips do I need to play? 

The amount of chips you enter the table with is called your stack. Every tournament has a starting stack, and it is the same for all players at the beginning.

Rules Learned! What's Next? 

Congratulations! You now know the essential rules of Texas Hold'em and are ready for your first game. You understand the gameplay, know the possible actions, and can determine the winner at showdown.

But knowing the rules is just the first step. True poker begins when you learn to make correct strategic decisions. Our article "Starting Hand Chart: Which Cards to Play Pre-flop?" will become your first strategic tool. And for those who want to dive into poker headfirst under the guidance of a coach, we have created the "FF-Start" course.

[Button: Learn about the "FF-Start" course]