TEXAS HOLDEM RULES

Typical Stuff Needed to Play:

- Standard Deck of 52 Poker Cards
- Dealer Button
- Betting Chips
- At least 2 Players (usually up to 10 at one table)
- Table with Chairs
- Timer (if playing a tournament)

Setup

Before the game begins a dealer position must be selected, the predetermined number of betting chips should be passed out to each player, and the blinds need to be agreed upon. Usually cards are randomly passed to each player at the table face up to see who receives the highest card. That person becomes the dealer position. If a tie breaker is needed, you may give a second card to each person in the tie to see who receives the highest card. The dealer button should be placed in front of that person.

Blinds are mandatory bets. Before each hand is dealt, usually the person immediately to the left of the dealer button pays the small blind (half the blind) and the person immediately to his left pays the big blind (full blind). The players who pay a blind are referred to as the name of the blind they play. Therefore the player who pays the big blind is called the big blind and the player who pays the small blind is called the small blind.

While the dealer shuffles the deck before each hand, the two players responsible for paying the blinds place the appropriate amount of chips towards the pot (the pool of chips that will eventually be awarded to the winner of the hand).

Game Play & Betting

The dealer deals the cards in a clockwise manner one by one starting with the small blind. The dealer will continue to deal out all cards face down until everyone, including the dealer position, receives two cards. The two cards each player receives are unique and considered to be his “pocket” or “hole” cards. As an example, if a player receives two 9’s, he is considered to be holding a pocket pair since the pair of 9’s is in his pocket. Each player should look at his own pocket cards secretively.

Now the first player to act would be the player immediately to the left of the big blind. Please note that in all subsequent rounds of betting, the first player to the left of the dealer position that hasn’t folded will be the first to act. Action refers to the player’s opportunity to check (if the player has enough chips in play to match the current bet), call, raise, or fold.

To check is to declare that you choose not to raise the minimum bet to play nor do you wish to fold your hand. To check, you may softly knock on the table, tap the table top, or simply say “check.” To call is to put more chips into the pot to match the current bet. If you would like to call a bet, you simply place the appropriate amount of chips in front of you and say “call.” If you are required to pay more money to match the current during your action and you don’t feel it is worth it, you may fold. Simply state “fold” and pass your cards towards the dealer if you wish to fold.

Raising is what you would do if you would like to raise the current bet. The minimum raise must be the big blind unless someone else has already raised this round of betting. If that is the case, the minimum raise is the last raise amount made during that round of betting. An exception to the minimum raise rule is if you would like to bet all of your remaining chips but you do not have enough to cover the minimum raise amount. The act of putting all of your remaining chips on the line is called going “all in.” To raise, you should announce your raise and the amount you would like to raise the bet. Then place this amount of chips in front of you.

Keep in mind that you may only check if you already paid the amount that matches the current bet. You may only raise or act when you have action and not out of turn.

Once again, the first player to act may check (if able), call, raise, or fold. After he makes a decision, the person to his left takes action. This will continue in this fashion until every player was given the opportunity to act at least once. Each player who hasn’t folded must also be given the opportunity to call or re-raise if the current bet was ever changed during the current round of betting. All action moves in a clockwise manner throughout all rounds of betting. After everyone was given these opportunities, all players should either have folded or matched the current bet. If this is the case, the first betting round has been concluded.

For the next round, the dealer will take the top card of the deck and place it face down in a discard pile. This act is called “burning” a card. Next, the dealer will flip over three cards faced up as they will serve as community cards. These community cards can be used in combination with each player’s pocket cards. Thus, each player is able to consider five cards (3 community cards plus 2 pocket cards). These first 3 community cards are also called “the flop.”

As mentioned earlier, the first player to the left of the dealer position that hasn’t folded will be the first to act this round. The same betting rules apply as the first round of betting. Once this round is over, the dealer will burn another card followed by placing one card face up next to the flop. This fourth card is called “the turn” which is a community card.

The first player to the left of the dealer position that hasn’t folded will be first to act again. The same betting rules apply as the earlier rounds of betting. Once this round is over, the dealer will burn a card followed by placing one card face up next to the turn card. This fifth and final card is called “the river” which is a community card.

In this last round of betting, the first player to the left of the dealer position that hasn’t folded will be first to act. The same betting rules apply as the earlier rounds of betting. Once this final round is over, it is now time to determine who is the winner.

Who is the Winner?

There are two ways to win a hand in Texas Holdem Poker. The first way is to be the only player left in the game who has not folded. As simple as that sounds, it can prove to be very difficult. If all but one player folds in any given round, that hand of poker is over and the last player left in the game is considered to be the winner.

The second way to win is to have the best hand during the “showdown.” The showdown occurs when all rounds of betting are over and the player (who hasn’t folded) who shows the best poker hand wins. Click here to see the poker hand ranks.

Variances

Just as there are different forms of poker; there are a few different types of Texas Holdem. The most popular version displayed on national television is the No Limit Tournament.

In this version, the blinds usually increase throughout the tournament. Usually the blinds increase during a set period of time or after a certain number of hands are played. In some tournaments, antes may also be added as part of betting. Antes are mandatory bets that all players at the table must put into the pot before they receive their pocket cards. If the game is No Limit, a player may go “all in” during any time that he has action. Often in tournament play, players continue to play until they lose all of their chips. This is the case, unless “re-buys” are allowed. Re-buys are the payments that allow a player to enter the tournament again while the tournament is still occurring. If a tournament does allow re-buys, usually they are only allowed for the earlier portion of the tournament. Tournaments can also be played with limits. Limit poker allows players to bet up to a maximum amount of chips during each action.

Not all Texas Holdem is played as a tournament. Cash games are played hand by hand. Unlike tournament play, players may walk to and from the table with all of their chips at any time. During cash games, blinds will usually stay round after round of betting.

If you would like to see a glossary of poker terms, click here.