Rules of Texas Hold 'em Poker

Texas Hold 'em Poker is one of the most popular variants of poker. Thanks to a combination of strategy, skill and a touch of luck, this game appeals to players of all levels.

Aim of the game

The main aim of the game is to place bets and accumulate the highest number of chips possible. The bets are added together in a pot, which is won by the player with the best combination of cards. You can also win if all the other players decide to pull out.

However, successful players are not looking to win every hand, but to succeed in the long run, making smart decisions about when and how much to bet, raise, call or fold. These players try to take advantage of their opponents’ bets and maximise their winnings in each round, thus increasing their profits in the long run.

Deck of cards

A French 52-card deck is used.

Number of players

Two to ten players are seated at the gaming table.

Distribution of cards

Unlike traditional Poker, each player only receives two cards. These cards are combined with the five community cards that the dealer reveals at different stages of the game: the Flop (the first three), the Turn (the fourth) and the River (the fifth), thus forming each player's hand.

Each player tries to make the best five-card poker hand from a combination of the seven available cards: the five community cards and their two hole cards. Players can choose to check, call, raise or fold during betting. Betting rounds take place before the flop is dealt and after each subsequent deal. The player with the best hand who has not folded at the end of all betting rounds takes all the money wagered, known as the pot. In certain situations, a ‘split pot’ or a ‘tie’ may arise if two players have hands of equivalent value.

Betting structures

It is usually played using small blind and big blind bets, which are forced bets by two players. The pre-flops (forced contributions by all players) can be used in addition to blinds, especially in the final stages of tournaments.

A dealer button is used to indicate the player who occupies this position. This button is rotated clockwise after each hand, thus changing the location of the dealer and blinds. The Small Blind is bet by the player to the left of the dealer and is usually half the size of the Big Blind. On the other hand, the Big Blind, which is bet by the player to the left of the Small Blind, corresponds to the minimum bet. In poker tournaments, the Blinds and Pre-flops structure increases periodically as the event progresses. After completing a betting round, the next betting round begins with the player in the Small Blind.

When there are only two players left, special heads-up rules apply and the blinds are set differently. In this case, the person with the dealer button places the small blind, while their opponent places the big blind.

Gameplay of a hand

The hand begins with a pre-flop betting round, starting with the player to the left of the Big Blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. A betting round continues until each player has either folded, placed all his chips or matched the amount wagered by all other active players. It is important to note that blinds are considered ‘active’ in the pre-flop betting round, meaning that they are included in the amount that the player in the blind must bet. In the event that all players call all the way round to the player in the Big Blind position, he can either check or raise.

After the pre-flop betting round, assuming there are at least two players remaining in the hand, the dealer deals a flop: three community cards face up. The flop leads to a second round of betting. This and all subsequent betting rounds begin with the player to the left of the dealer and continue clockwise.

At the end of the flop betting round, a community card (called a turn) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final community card (called the river) is then dealt, followed by a fourth round of betting and the showdown, if necessary.

In all casinos, the dealer will discard a card before the flop, turn and river. Thanks to this discard, players who are betting cannot see the back of the community card to come. This is done for traditional reasons, to avoid any possibility of a player knowing the next card to be dealt in advance, which may be marked.

The Showdown

If one player bets and all other players fold, then the remaining player takes the pot and is not obliged to show his hole cards. If two or more players remain after the last betting round, a showdown occurs. In the showdown, each player forms the best possible poker hand using his two hole cards and the five community cards. A player may use both of his hole cards, only one, or none at all, to form his final five-card hand. If the five community cards make up the player's best hand, he is said to be ‘playing the board’ and can only hope to share the pot, as all other players can also use those same five cards to form the same hand.

If more than one player has the best hand, the pot is split evenly between them, with any additional chips going to the first players to the left of the button clockwise. It is common for players to have hands of similar value, although not necessarily of the same rank. When determining the best hand, care must be taken; if the hand has fewer than five cards (such as two pairs or a three of a kind), kickers are used to resolve ties. The numerical values of the cards are important, while suits do not count in hold ‘em.

Incorrect dealing

If the first or second card dealt is revealed, it is considered a misdeal. The dealer then retrieves the card, reshuffles the deck and cuts again. However, if any other hole cards are revealed by mistake, the deal continues as usual. Once finished, the exposed card is replaced by the top card of the deck, and the revealed card is discarded. If more than one hole card is exposed, the dealer considers that there has been a misdeal and a new hand is started from the beginning. It is also considered a misdeal if a player receives more than two hole cards by mistake, such as when they are stuck together.

Variants of the game

The three most common variants of hold ‘em are:

• Limit hold 'em
• No-limit hold 'em
• Pot-limit hold 'em.

Limit hold 'em is the most popular variant in US casinos. In limit hold 'em, bets and raises during the first two betting rounds (pre-flop and flop) must be equal to the Big Blind; this is known as a small bet. In the next two betting rounds (turn and river), the bets and raises must be twice the size of the Big Blind; this is called the big bet.

No-limit hold ‘em has grown in popularity and is the most common variant in televised poker tournaments and in the World Series of Poker Main Event. In this game, players can bet or raise any amount higher than the minimum raise, until they’ve used all their chips. This is known as all-in. The minimum raise is equal to the size of the last bet or raise. If a player wishes to raise again, the new raise must be at least equal to the previous raise.

In pot-limit hold ‘em, the maximum raise allowed is equal to the current pot size, including the amount needed to call.

Order of the cards

The value of the cards, from highest to lowest, is as follows:

A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

Value of hands

Below are the possible hand values in ascending order:

• High card -->Simple value of the card. Lowest: 2 – Highest: Ace
• One pair -->Two cards with the same value
• Two pairs -->Two times two cards with the same value
• Three of a kind -->Three cards with the same value
• Straight -->Sequence of 5 cards of increasing value (the Ace may precede the 2 or follow the King, but not both), not of the same suit
• Flush -->Five cards of the same suit, not in sequential order
• Full house -->Combination of three of a kind or a pair
• Four of a kind -->Four cards of the same value
• Straight flush -->Straight of the same suit
• Royal flush -->The highest straight of the same suit

Experience the adrenaline of Texas Hold’em! Gather your friends and test your strategy at the table.