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How Texas Hold’em works
Standard Hold’em uses a 52-card deck without jokers. Each player receives two private cards. The board can eventually hold five community cards, but a hand may end before all five are dealt.
You can win by showing the strongest eligible hand or by being the only player who has not folded. At showdown, choose exactly five cards from your two hole cards and the board. Using two, one or neither of your hole cards is allowed. These are standard no-limit Hold’em rules; Omaha and Short Deck need separate explanations.
The button, blinds and action order
The button marks the dealer position and normally moves clockwise between hands. On a table with three or more players, the next two seats post the small and big blinds. In our 1/2 example, they contribute 1 and 2 before receiving their cards.
Preflop, action starts with the player left of the big blind. On later streets, it starts with the first player clockwise from the button who still has cards and can act. Skip folded and all-in players. Posting a blind does not remove your right to act: the big blind may check if no one has raised.
Heads-up changes the seating rule: the button posts the small blind and acts first preflop, but last after the flop. Antes, including a big-blind ante, depend on the game or tournament structure; they are not additional live bets to call.
Before the flopUTG → HJ → CO → BTN → SB → BB
After the flopSB → BB → UTG → HJ → CO → BTN
Heads-up
Before the flopBTN/SB → BB
After the flopBB → BTN/SB
Follow one hand from start to finish
Six seats, blinds 1/2, no antes or rake. The first three players fold. Follow the button and big blind below; each amount described as “to” is a player’s total contribution on that street. A betting round closes when everyone who can still act has had the opportunity and has matched the current bet or folded. An all-in player cannot be required to add more.
Preflop
Pot 13The button raises to 6. The small blind folds, leaving 1 behind. The big blind adds 4 to its posted 2. Pot: 6 + 1 + 6 = 13.
Flop
Pot 29The flop brings three community cards. The big blind checks. The button bets 8 and the big blind calls 8. Pot: 13 + 8 + 8 = 29.
Turn
Pot 29The turn adds a fourth community card. Both players check. No chips enter the pot, which stays at 29.
River
Pot 59The river adds the fifth and final community card. The big blind bets 15 and the button calls 15. Pot: 29 + 15 + 15 = 59.
Showdown
Pot 59Both players have a pair of kings. The button’s ace kicker beats the big blind’s queen: compare K-K-A-9-7 with K-K-Q-9-7. The button wins 59.
Your five options at the table
Available actions depend on what you owe, not merely on what the previous player said. If your contribution already matches the live bet—for example, the big blind facing only calls—you may check. A hand ends immediately when everyone but one player folds.
- Check
- Pass without adding chips, only when you owe nothing to match the current bet.
- Bet
- Make the first wager of the street, when no live bet is outstanding.
- Call
- Add the amount needed to match the current bet, or go all-in for less if that is all you have.
- Raise
- Increase the current bet. Announce the total clearly and respect the minimum full-raise size.
- Fold
- Give up this hand and any claim to its pots. Chips already committed stay in the pot.
Poker hands, strongest to weakest
Compare the category first, then the ranks that make up the best five cards. A royal flush is the highest straight flush, shown separately here for quick reference. Suits do not settle a tie.
A can sit below 2 in A–2–3–4–5, a five-high straight, or above K in 10–J–Q–K–A. It cannot wrap around: Q–K–A–2–3 is not a straight.
If the board is A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠, neither player can improve it. Two players eligible for the same pot split it: each has 50% equity, not a separate 100% outright win. Side-pot eligibility is checked before any split.
- 01
Royal flush
Ace-high straight flush. No higher hand exists.
- 02
Straight flush
Five consecutive ranks in one suit. Compare the top card.
- 03
Four of a kind
Four equal ranks, then one kicker.
- 04
Full house
Compare the three matching ranks first, then the pair.
- 05
Flush
Five of one suit. Compare all five ranks in descending order.
- 06
Straight
Five consecutive ranks. Only the highest card decides.
- 07
Three of a kind
Three equal ranks, then the two kickers.
- 08
Two pair
Compare the higher pair, the lower pair, then the kicker.
- 09
One pair
Compare the pair, then all three kickers in order.
- 10
High card
No stronger category. Compare the five ranks from highest down.
Raises, all-ins and side pots
In no-limit Hold’em, a normal opening bet must be at least one big blind. A raise must add at least the size of the last full bet or raise. With blinds 1/2, raising to 6 adds 4; the next minimum full raise is therefore to 10, not 12. You can wager the chips you have in play, including your whole remaining stack, but cannot add money during the hand to cover a bet.
A player with fewer chips may go all-in for less than a full call or raise. That does not automatically reopen raising for someone who has already acted. Under TDA no-limit rules, check the additional amount that player faces against the last full bet or raise; multiple short all-ins can together reopen the action. Players who have not yet acted retain their available options.
Consider three players who commit A:40, B:100 and C:160. All three contest the main pot of 120. Only B and C contest the side pot of 120. The unmatched 60 returns to C; it is not a side pot that C has “won.” Folded contributions stay in their pots, but the player who folded cannot win them.
Each pot is awarded separately. Cards speak at showdown. TDA tournament procedures include tabling all live hands once someone is all-in and further betting is complete; non-all-in showdown order, odd chips and other settlement details follow the applicable room or event rules. Do not assume every cash game uses the same tournament procedures.
+4 / +4
A bets 100; B is all-in for 150 total. The extra 50 is below a full raise of 100. If action returns to A without any further increase, A may call 50 or fold, but cannot reraise under TDA no-limit rules.
Questions that come up at the table
A few short answers to the situations that tend to interrupt a first game.
Must I use both hole cards?
No. You can use zero, one or two. Your final hand always contains exactly five cards.
Do suits break a tie?
No. Spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs have equal value when comparing hands. A suit never beats another suit.
Can I check after another player bets?
Only if you owe nothing further to match that bet. Otherwise call, raise if permitted, or fold.
Does going all-in guarantee seeing the remaining cards?
A live all-in hand stays eligible for the pots it has contributed to. It cannot win amounts other players contest beyond that contribution.
Who acts first in heads-up Hold’em?
The button/small blind acts first preflop. The big blind acts first after the flop.
What happens if our best hands are equal?
Split the pot equally among the eligible tied players. Any indivisible odd chip is awarded under the room or tournament rules; it does not make one hand stronger.