Texas Hold'em is the most played poker variant in the world, and learning its rules takes less time than you think. This is the guide to playing your first hand with confidence.
The goal
Win chips. In every hand there's a pot (the chips wagered in the middle) and you want to take it: either by having the best hand at the end, or by making everyone else fold before then.
The cards
- •Each player is dealt 2 hole cards (only you see them).
- •Up to 5 community cards are dealt in the middle, shared by everyone.
- •Your final hand is the best 5-card combination from your 2 cards and the 5 in the middle.
The 4 betting rounds
- •Preflop: you get your 2 cards, nothing is in the middle yet.
- •Flop: the first 3 community cards are dealt.
- •Turn: the 4th community card.
- •River: the 5th and final card. If 2+ players remain, cards are revealed (showdown) and the best hand wins.
A♠
K♦
7♥
2♣
9♠
The blinds
Before the deal, two players post forced bets (the small blind and the big blind) so there's always a pot to fight for. They rotate every hand.
💡 You don't need to memorize everything at once. Just knowing that you have 2 cards, there are 5 in the middle, and betting happens across 4 rounds is enough to play your first hand.
🎓 Learn to play step by step (free)→