Texas Hold’em is the world’s most widely played poker game. Each player receives two private hole cards, five community cards are dealt across the table, and the aim is to make the best five-card poker hand or win the pot by making every opponent fold.
The rules are straightforward once you understand the order of play. This guide takes you from the blinds and first deal through the flop, turn, river and showdown, then explains the decisions that matter most when you start playing.
Texas Hold’em Rules at a Glance
- Each player receives two private hole cards.
- Five community cards can be used by everyone.
- There are four betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn and river.
- You make the best possible five-card hand from the seven cards available to you.
- You can use both hole cards, one hole card or no hole cards.
- A hand can also be won before showdown if every opponent folds.
If you are not yet comfortable with the order of hands, keep the Poker Hand Rankings guide open alongside this page. You can also search unfamiliar language in the Poker Terminology glossary.
Setting Up a Texas Hold’em Hand
Hold’em uses a standard 52-card deck and is usually played with between two and nine players at a table. One player has the dealer button, which moves one seat clockwise after each hand and determines the order of betting.
The player immediately left of the button posts the small blind when that term is available in the glossary, while the next player posts the big blind. These forced bets create a pot worth competing for before anyone has seen a card.
How a Texas Hold’em Hand Plays Out
Hole Cards & Preflop
Every player receives two private hole cards. Action starts left of the big blind with under the gun.
You can fold, call, raise or move all-in. Most modern Hold’em is no-limit.
The Flop
Three community cards are dealt face up. Another betting round follows, beginning with the first active player left of the button.
The Turn
A fourth community card, the turn, is added before the third betting round. Hand strength and draws can change sharply here.
The River
The river is the fifth and final community card. With no cards left to come, players make their last betting decisions.
Showdown
If two or more players remain, their best five-card hands are compared and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.
You can use both hole cards, one, or neither. The board itself can make your best five-card hand.
How Betting Works
A betting round continues until every active player has either folded or matched the highest amount wagered on that street. A raise can force players who already acted to make another decision.
In no-limit Hold’em, you can wager up to your entire stack. A short all-in may not always reopen the betting for players who have already acted.
How to Build Your Hand
By the river you have seven cards available: two hole cards and five community cards. Your best five-card combination is what counts.
You can use both hole cards, one, or neither. Unlike Omaha, Hold’em never requires you to use both private cards.
Three Concepts to Learn Next
Acting Later Is Powerful
Position tells you when you act relative to the dealer button. Later position gives you more information before you decide.
The button is the strongest postflop seat. Read the full Poker Positions guide.
You Do Not Need to Play Everything
High pocket pairs and strong big-card hands are easier to play than weak disconnected cards.
Your opening range should widen as your position improves.
Know the Price of a Call
Pot odds compare the cost of calling with the amount you can win. Equity estimates how often your hand should win.
Use the free Texas Hold’em calculator to compare hands and boards directly.
Cash Games vs Tournaments
The core Hold’em rules are the same, but the environment changes. Cash-game blinds usually stay fixed and chips represent money directly, while tournament blinds rise and players are eliminated when they lose all their chips.
Tournaments also introduce antes, payout jumps and ICM. These factors can make a decision correct in a cash game but poor in a tournament near a major prize threshold.
Five Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing too many starting hands from early position.
- Calling automatically without considering the size of the pot and bet.
- Ignoring position when deciding whether to enter a hand.
- Chasing every draw regardless of the price.
- Thinking only about your own cards instead of the range an opponent can hold.
A simple decision made for a clear reason is better than trying to copy advanced strategy without understanding it. Start by recognising hand strength, position, stack size and the betting action, then add more advanced concepts gradually.
Texas Hold’em FAQ
Quick answers to common questions about Texas Hold’em rules, cards and betting order.
Where to Go Next
Once the basic rules feel automatic, move on to Poker Hand Rankings, Poker Positions and the full A-Z Poker Terminology guide. These pages cover the language and concepts you will encounter in almost every Hold’em game.