Texas Hold'Em Poker
Texas hold’em is the most popular variation of poker and is the game variant that is played in the major land-based poker tournaments of World Series of Poker (WSOP) and World Poker Tour (WPT). The game is popular with amateur and professional poker players as the rules are simple to learn, but the game is challenging to master. Texas hold’em is the most famous game in a poker rooms game suite and it is worth taking the time to understand how to play the game through our Texas Hold’em poker guide.
Each hand in a game of poker is ranked and players win or lose based on the ranking of their final five-card poker hand.
The player to the dealer’s left must place the first blind – half the minimum bet and the player to his left must place the second blind – the value of the minimum bet. Each player will then be dealt two cards face-down (hole cards). A betting round known as the flop will take place when each player can call, raise or hold. The dealer will then deal three cards face up into the middle of the table. The second round of betting will take place. One more face-up card will be dealt (the turn or fourth street) and a third round of betting will take place. The final and fifth community card (the river or fifth street) will be dealt face-up and players will bet once more. Five card poker hands will be compared (using the player’s two hole cards, plus any three community cards) and the winning hand will be determined.
Poker Hand Rankings
Each hand in a game of poker is ranked and players win or lose based on the ranking of their final five-card poker hand.
- Royal flush – five consecutive cards, from ten to Ace, in the same suit.
- Straight flush – five consecutive cards in the same suit.
- Four of a kind – four cards of the same numerical value.
- Full house – three cards of an identical numerical value and two of another.
- Flush – five cards in the same suit.
- Straight – five consecutive cards in any suit.
- Three of a kind – three cards of the same numerical value.
- Two pair – two cards with one numerical value and two of another.
- Pair – two cards of the same numerical value.
How to play Texas Hold'Em Poker
The player to the dealer’s left must place the first blind – half the minimum bet and the player to his left must place the second blind – the value of the minimum bet. Each player will then be dealt two cards face-down (hole cards). A betting round known as the flop will take place when each player can call, raise or hold. The dealer will then deal three cards face up into the middle of the table. The second round of betting will take place. One more face-up card will be dealt (the turn or fourth street) and a third round of betting will take place. The final and fifth community card (the river or fifth street) will be dealt face-up and players will bet once more. Five card poker hands will be compared (using the player’s two hole cards, plus any three community cards) and the winning hand will be determined.