Texas Hold’em Rules: A Beginner’s Guide

The goal of a hand

In Texas hold’em, each player receives two private hole cards. Up to five community cards are placed on the board. A player makes the best five-card poker hand using any combination of those seven available cards—including one hole card, both, or neither. A hand can also end before showdown when every opponent folds.

How the board is dealt

1. Before the flop: blinds are posted under the game’s rules, hole cards are dealt and the first betting round takes place.
2. Flop: three community cards are dealt, followed by another betting round.
3. Turn: a fourth community card is added and betting continues.
4. River: the fifth community card is added, followed by the final betting round.
5. Showdown: remaining hands are compared under the room’s rules.

The WSOP rules guide explains the game structure and betting details. Specific room rules govern blinds, raises, disconnections and unusual situations.

A hand-construction example

Suppose your hole cards are A♠ Q♠ and the board is A♦ 9♠ 7♠ 2♠ K♣. Your best five cards are A♠ Q♠ 9♠ 7♠ 2♠: an ace-high flush. The pair of aces is not the strongest hand available, because a flush ranks above one pair.

Now imagine the board itself is A♣ K♦ Q♥ J♠ 10♣ and no player can make a higher hand. Everyone remaining can use the board’s ace-high straight. A player does not win that pot merely for holding another ace; the best five-card hand is what matters. In games with rake, a split pot may be reduced by the applicable fee.

The actions on a turn

A check passes the action without a bet when checking is available. A bet puts chips into a previously unbet round. A call matches the current wager; a raise increases it. A fold gives up the hand’s claim to the pot. What constitutes a valid raise depends on the betting structure and the room’s rules.

The WSOP beginner overview provides another introduction to hand construction and the flow of play.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing the best five-card hand with all seven cards.
• Assuming you must use both hole cards, as in some other poker variants.
• Treating tournament chips as a cash balance that can be withdrawn.
• Entering a game without checking blinds, fees and betting limits.

Read the US poker guide before choosing a room. A video-poker game or a social poker lobby does not establish an authorized real-money player-to-player room in your state. Knowing the rules does not guarantee a winning session.