How a Hand Begins
Every hand of Texas Hold'em starts the same way. A round disc called the dealer button marks the nominal dealer position and moves one seat clockwise after each hand. The button determines the order of play and who posts the forced bets.
The player immediately left of the button posts the small blind, a forced bet equal to half the minimum stake. The next player to the left posts the big blind, a forced bet equal to the full minimum stake. In a $1/$2 game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.
Once blinds are posted, the dealer gives each player two cards face down, one at a time, starting with the small blind. These are your hole cards: private cards only you can see.
You will combine your two hole cards with up to five community cards (dealt later on the board) to make the best possible five-card poker hand. If you need a refresher on which hands beat which, see the hand rankings.
Preflop: First Betting Round
After the deal, the first betting round begins. Action starts with the player to the left of the big blind, a position called under the gun (UTG), and proceeds clockwise around the table.
Each player has three options: fold (discard your hand and forfeit the pot), call (match the current largest bet, the big blind at minimum), or raise (increase the bet). In no-limit Hold'em, you can raise to any amount up to your entire chip stack.
Action continues clockwise. If a player raises, everyone else must fold, call the new amount, or re-raise. The round ends when all remaining players have put in equal chips. The big blind is the last to act preflop and can check (if no raise) or raise.
No community cards are on the board yet. Your decision is based entirely on the strength of your two hole cards and your position at the table.
Betting Round Summary
| Round | Community Cards | First to Act | Available Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preflop | None | Left of big blind (UTG) | Fold, call, raise, all-in |
| Flop | 3 cards dealt | Left of button (SB/BB) | Check, bet, fold, call, raise, all-in |
| Turn | 4th card dealt | Left of button (SB/BB) | Check, bet, fold, call, raise, all-in |
| River | 5th card dealt | Left of button (SB/BB) | Check, bet, fold, call, raise, all-in |
The Flop: Second Betting Round
After preflop action is complete, the dealer places three community cards face up in the center of the table. This is called the flop. These are shared cards that every remaining player can use.
A new betting round begins. This time, the first active player to the left of the dealer button acts first. On the flop (and all post-flop streets), the order is: SB, BB, UTG, ..., CO, BTN. The button always acts last.
If no one has bet, you can check (pass without betting) or bet. If someone bets, you must fold, call, or raise. The round ends when all active players have acted and put in equal chips, or everyone checks.
The Turn: Third Betting Round
After flop betting is complete, the dealer places a fourth community card face up next to the flop. This card is called the turn (or "fourth street").
Another betting round follows, using the same order as the flop: first active player left of the button acts first. The same options apply: check, bet, fold, call, raise, or all-in.
In fixed-limit games, the bet size doubles on the turn. In no-limit, you can still bet any amount up to your stack. With four community cards now visible, players have more information about the possible hands that can be made.
The River: Final Betting Round
The dealer places the fifth and final community card face up. This is the river (or "fifth street"). The board is now complete; no more cards will be dealt.
The last betting round takes place with the same rules as the flop and turn. This is the final opportunity to bet, bluff, or extract value before hands are revealed. If a bet is made and called, the hand goes to showdown.
If all remaining players check, the hand also goes to showdown. If a bet is made and everyone folds, the bettor wins the pot without showing their cards.
Showdown: Determining the Winner
If two or more players remain after the river betting round, remaining players reveal their hole cards. This is the showdown. The player who made the last aggressive action (bet or raise) shows first. If there was no betting on the river, the first player to the left of the button shows first.
Each player makes the best possible five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards. You can use both hole cards, one hole card, or (rarely) no hole cards if the board itself makes the best hand.
The player with the highest-ranking hand wins the pot. If two or more players have equally ranked hands, the pot is split evenly. Suits are never used to break ties in Hold'em.
For a complete breakdown of hand strength, see the poker hand rankings.
Example Hand Walkthrough
Follow along with a complete hand of $1/$2 no-limit Hold'em at a 6-player table. Use the Previous and Next buttons to step through each phase.
The button is on the Cutoff (CO). The Small Blind posts $1 and the Big Blind posts $2. These forced bets create the initial pot.
Each player receives two hole cards face down. You are sitting in the Cutoff (CO) and look down at:
Ace-King offsuit, one of the strongest starting hands in Hold'em.
UTG folds. MP calls $2. Action is on you in the CO with A♠ K♥. You raise to $8, a standard 4x raise over the big blind.
BTN folds. SB folds ($1 forfeited). BB calls $6 more (total $8). MP calls $6 more (total $8). Three players see the flop.
Three community cards are dealt:
You have top pair, top kicker (a pair of Kings with an Ace kicker). This is a strong hand on this board.
BB checks. MP checks. You bet $15 (about 60% of the pot) for value. BB folds. MP calls.
The fourth community card is dealt:
The 9♥ is a relatively blank card that does not change much. MP checks. You bet $35 (about 64% of the pot). MP calls.
The fifth and final community card:
Another blank card. MP checks. You bet $60 (about 48% of the pot), looking to get called by a weaker King or a pair of Nines.
MP folds. You win the $125 pot without going to showdown. You do not have to show your cards.
Table Positions
Position is one of the most important concepts in Hold'em. Players who act later in a round have a significant advantage because they see what earlier players do before making their own decision. Here is a standard 9-player table layout:
Early position (UTG, UTG+1) players act first preflop and are at the biggest informational disadvantage. Late position (CO, BTN) players act last and can make more informed decisions. The blinds act last preflop but first on all post-flop streets.
Cash Games vs. Tournaments
The rules of Hold'em are the same in both formats, but the structure around the game differs significantly. Here is a side-by-side comparison:
| Cash Games | Tournaments | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Open-ended. Join or leave any time. | Fixed start time. Play until one player has all the chips. |
| Blinds | Stay the same throughout. | Increase at regular intervals (levels). |
| Buy-in | Flexible within table min/max. Rebuy any time. | Fixed buy-in. One entry (unless rebuys are allowed). |
| Chips | Represent real money. $1 chip = $1. | Tournament value only. No direct cash value. |
| Duration | Your choice. Sessions last as long as you want. | Determined by field size. Can be hours or days. |
| Strategy Tool | Rake Calculator | Tournament Variance Calculator |
One-page cheat sheet
Hand rankings, positions, betting flow, and bet sizing. Printable PDF to keep next to the computer.
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