Brief Description
Texas Hold'Em is a poker game in which seven cards are dealt, with five of those cards being used to create the best possible poker hand. In Texas Hold 'Em players receive two down cards (which only they can see); while the other five cards are community cards, dealt face up in the middle of the table for everyone to see, and used by all players to create the best poker hand.
Other Names This Game Is Known As
Commonly called "Hold 'Em".
Number of Players
From 3 to 20 players can participate; most common in casinos are tables for 7-12 players.
Description of Deck(s) Used
Standard 52-card deck, no jokers, no wildcards.
Objective
To have the highest ranking poker hand using five of the seven cards available to you.
How Poker Hands are Ranked
From high to low:
• Straight Flush (five cards in order, all of the same suit)
• Four of a Kind
• Full House (one three of a kind and one pair)
• Flush (five cards of the same suit)
• Straight (five cards in order, any suit)
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card
Note: Ace may be played high or low for a straight.
How Suits Are Ranked
Alphabetically from low to high:
• Clubs
• Diamonds
• Hearts
• Spades
How Texas Hold 'Em is Played
1. A distinctive token, called the button, is put in front of one of the players. This button moves clockwise around the table with each new hand, and represents the "theoretical dealer." This is done so that no single player will always get the first card out, and to prevent any single player from always having to be the first one to make a bet. This is also done to make sure that all players at the table will eventually have to post the initial mandatory bets (described in the next step).
2. Before any cards are dealt, the two people sitting to the left of the button must post two mandatory initial bets, called blinds. (They are called blinds because they take place before any cards are dealt, so players are blind to the possibilities of the hand.) The first player to the left of the button posts the small blind, which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet for the table. The next player to the left places the big blind, which is usually equal to the minimum bet for the table.
3. Beginning with the player who posted the small blind, each player is dealt two cards face down (called hole cards or down cards).
4. The player to the left of the person who posted the big blind now has one of three options: to see (match) the amount bet in the big blind; to raise (increase) the amount bet in the big blind; or to fold (drop out of the hand).
5. The betting moves clockwise around the table until all players have exercised their options. Note that the players who posted the blinds only have to match the difference between the largest bet and their posted blind to remain in the game.
6. The dealer lays out three community cards face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the flop.
7. Another round of betting takes place, beginning with the first active player to the left of the button.
8. The dealer lays out a fourth community card face up in the middle of the table. This card is also known as the turn.
9. Another round of betting takes place, beginning with the first active player to the left of the button.
10. The dealer lays out a fifth community card face up in the middle of the table. This card is also known as the river.
11. Another round of betting takes place, beginning with the first active player to the left of the button.
12. Time for showdown: all remaining players reveal their best poker hand using any combination of the five community cards and the two down cards they were dealt. (Note that players can choose to not use any of the down cards they were dealt.) The winning poker hand takes the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split (no other cards are used to break the tie).
Other Considerations and Options
• Down cards are dealt clockwise, one at a time, beginning with the player who posted the small blind.
• Players should look at their down cards as they are dealt. These cards must not be revealed to anyone else.
• Players who fold their hand in the middle of a game must not reveal the contents of their folded hand. (Revealing a folded hand might benefit the remaining players, and would not be fair play.)
• The player who made the last bet or raise shows their hand first at showdown. The show of hands continues clockwise around the table.
About Betting
• The person starting a betting round can choose to check (not to bet), thereby passing the option to the next active player to his left. The player retains the option to see or raise once the betting comes back around. If every player around the table checks, the betting round is over and the next card is dealt. If any player bets, all players must respond to stay in the game.
• After the first person bets, the player to his left must then see (match that bet), raise (increase the amount of the bet), or fold (drop out of the hand). This action then continues clockwise around the table to all active players.
• A reraise is a raise of a previous raise. Betting ends when all who wish to see the highest bet have done so, or when all but one player has folded.
• Live Blinds are usually used in Texas Hold 'Em. In other words, the blinds count as all or part of that players bet in the first round of betting. When the first round of betting reaches the player who placed the small blind, that player only has to add the amount necessary to see (match) the current bet, as he has already contributed to the pot for this round. If no raises have incurred during this round, the player who placed the big blind will owe nothing when the betting reaches him. He does have the option of raising the bet at this time. If he does not raise the bet, this round of betting is over. If he does raise the bet, each player in turn then once again has the option to see, raise, or fold.
