Texas Hold'em Poker: Rules, How It Works, and a Complete Guide for Beginners
Sheli DThe rules of Texas Hold'em poker
Texas Hold'em poker is the most popular variant in the world. It can be found in casinos, international tournaments, and casual games with friends. Each player receives two private cards and then tries to form the best possible hand using five community cards that are revealed progressively.
The goal is simple: win your opponents' chips by having the best hand... or by forcing them to fold.
1. How does a game of Texas Hold'em work?
The role of the dealer
Before each hand, a player is designated as the dealer . The dealer button rotates clockwise with each hand.
This role determines the order of bets.
Card distribution
– The dealer deals two private cards to each player.
– The cards are dealt one by one, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
2. The sequence of a blow: step by step
Step 1: First round of betting (preflop)
The 5 possible actions in Texas Hold'em
1. Check – Stay in the game without betting
Mandatory condition: no one has placed a bid before you in this round of bidding.
Expert explanation:
- Making a check means you are not betting anything , but you are still in the game .
- You transfer the action to the next player.
- This is a neutral action: you are not showing any direct information about the strength of your hand, which can be part of a strategy (slow-play, pot control, etc.).
Key point: You can only check if no bet has been made in the current bidding round.
2. Call – Follow the bet
Condition: at least one player before you has bet or raised.
Expert explanation:
- Making a call means paying exactly the amount of the current bet or raise to continue the hand.
- This allows you to stay in the game without increasing the pot.
- The call is often used for:
-
- keep the pot small.
- to mask the true strength of your hand,
- or pursue a speculative hand (color draw, straight, etc.).
Strategic attention:
Calling too often is one of the major mistakes made by amateur players. A good player must understand when a call is profitable .
3. Raise – Relaunch
Condition: someone has placed a bet before you in this round, and you choose to increase the bet.
A more precise explanation:
- Raising a hand increases the total amount that others will have to pay to continue.
- The raise can be a standard raise, a re-raise , or even an all-in .
- The size of the raise depends on the rules (no-limit, pot-limit, limit).
Possible objectives of a recovery plan:
- to extract value from a strong hand
- protect your hand against your opponent's draws,
- isolate a player,
- bluff: to force the opponent to fold.
4. Fold – To lie down
Condition: possible at any time when the action is on you.
Expert explanation:
- To fold means to immediately abandon your hand ; you can no longer win the pot.
- Your cards are not revealed (except in tournaments if requested during an all-in).
- This is the action that allows you to protect your stake when continuing would be a loss.
Typical beginner's mistake:
Too much following and never folding in spots of weakness. The best players fold often .
5. Bet – Place a Bet
Condition: no bet was placed in this round.
Clear explanation:
- Making a bet means being the first to put money into the pot during a round of betting.
- This is different from a raise because there is no initial bet to call.
- The amount depends on the format (no-limit, pot-limit).
Purpose of a bet:
- Value bet: obtaining chips when you think you are ahead.
- bluff bet: to make them fold better.
- semi-bluff: betting with a draw that could become a strong hand.
Technical summary (as rigorous as possible)
| Action | When is it possible? | Meaning | Main goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check | No one placed a bet. | Staying in the loop for free | Check the pot, potential trap |
| Call | Someone placed a bet | Pay the bet to continue | See the rest without increasing the pot |
| Raise | An existing bet | Increase the bet | Value, protection, bluff |
| Bet | No bet | Bet first | Value or bluff |
| Fold | Always possible | Drop the hand | Minimize losses |
The player to the left of the dealer starts.
At this stage, each player can:
– Follow (call)
– Restart (raise)
– To lie down (fold)
– To bet (if no one has bet yet)
Step 2: The flop (3 community cards)
Three community cards are revealed on the table.
New round of betting , always starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
Step 3: The turn (4th community card)
A fourth shared map is revealed.
A third round of betting begins.
Step 4: The river (5th community card)
The fifth and final common card is placed face up.
A final round of betting is carried out.
Step 5: The showdown (the slaughter)
If several players are still in the game after the last round, each reveals their hand.
The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot.
If only one player bets and all the others fold, he wins automatically .
3. Ranking of poker hands (from weakest to strongest)
Learn to recognize the different poker hands, from lowest to highest ranking. This hierarchy applies to Texas Hold'em High, the most popular variant of the game. In Low games, this hierarchy is reversed: the lowest-ranking hands win. As for High-Low, it rewards both the best high hand and the best low hand, creating a unique dynamic.
1 - High card (The weakest hand)
The high card is a frequent combination that plays a decisive role, especially when it comes to breaking a tie between players during a bluff or a tie.
Let's take the example of two players with no real hand who both attempt a bluff. If neither folds and the hand goes to showdown, the highest card determines the winner (like the 9 of diamonds in the previous illustration).
This tie-breaking principle also applies when two players have identical hands. For example, if two players each have a pair of the same value, the one with the highest high card wins the pot.
2 - A Pair
A pair consists of two cards of the same rank, necessarily of different suits. The example shown illustrates a pair of 9s.
Double pair
This combination consists of two pairs of cards of the same rank. Here: a pair of Kings and a pair of Jacks.
If both players share one of the pairs, the value of the other pair is what decides.
When the two pairs match exactly, the fifth card (the kicker) makes the difference. In the example given, with a modest 2♥, the chances of winning are slim...
It exceptionally happens that the five cards are exactly the same: in this extremely rare situation, the players share the pot equally.
3 - Three of a kind![]()
A three-of-a-kind consists of three cards of the same value, complemented by any two cards, because a poker hand always has five cards in total.
A perfect tie between two sets of three is impossible: a poker deck only contains four copies of each value, so two players cannot simultaneously hold three identical cards of the same rank.
4 - Sequence (fifth)
The fifth (or sequence): principle, function and particularities
A straight, also known as a suite, consists of five cards in consecutive rank, without requiring them to be of the same suit. It occupies a middle position in the hand rankings: higher than three of a kind, but lower than a flush.
Examples of valid fifths:
- 7♣ – 8♥ – 9♠ – 10♦ – J♥
- 2♠ – 3♦ – 4♥ – 5♣ – 6♠
5 - Colour (flush)
A color brings together five cards of the same suit (in this example, all hearts), without them forming a sequence.
When two players present a suit, the one with the highest card wins. If the highest cards are identical, the second highest card is compared, then the third if necessary, and so on until a difference is found.
6 - Full (Full house)
A full house, also called a "full house," combines three of a kind and a pair. This hand therefore consists of three cards of the same rank and two other cards of identical rank.
In the event of a clash between two full houses, the value of the three-of-a-kind determines the winner. Remember that it is impossible for two players to hold the same three-of-a-kind, since a 52-card deck only contains four copies of each rank.
7 - Square (four of a kind)
The square, as its name suggests, groups together four cards of the same rank. For the illustration, we have chosen the mythical four of a kind of Aces.
If two players each have a set of four, the winner is the one whose four cards have the highest value. A tie is impossible, as a standard deck only contains four copies of each rank.
8 - Straight flush
A straight flush combines five consecutive cards of the same suit (here, all hearts).
When two players hold a straight flush, the one whose sequence ends with the highest card wins the pot. In the extremely rare event of a tie, the probability of which is almost zero, the players split the winnings.
9 - Royal Flush
A royal flush is a straight flush whose sequence culminates in an Ace. It consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit (in this example, hearts), ranging from 10 to Ace. This combination represents the ultimate hand in poker: completely unbeatable, but exceptionally rare.
Important :
A player can use:
– the two private cards,
– just one,
– or none , by playing only the community cards (called playing the board ).
4. Essential tips for getting started
I challenge your content: your original article offered no advice. An article should always deliver concrete value. Here's a useful section for readers:
– Don't play all hands: select your starting cards.
– Pay attention to your position: acting after others is a huge advantage.
– Don't overuse bluffing: use it in the right spots.
– Keep an eye on your opponents' stacks: this greatly influences their strategies.
– Start with low-stakes games to learn without pressure.
5. In summary
Texas Hold'em is an exciting game where strategy, psychology, and probability intersect. The rules are simple, but mastering them takes time. By understanding how betting rounds work and hand rankings, you can now play poker with friends, in a club, or online.
Read also the article on tips to improve your poker game, click here