In Texas Hold'em each player gets two private hole cards, five shared community cards are dealt face up in three stages, and the best five card hand made from any of your seven cards wins the pot. It uses one 52 card deck, two forced bets called blinds start the action, and there are four betting rounds: before the flop, after the flop, after the turn and after the river.
Hold'em is the game you see on television and the one most home groups play. The rules fit on one page, but a few details, like who bets first after the flop and what happens when the board plays, trip people up. I've worked from the Bicycle rules and the New Jersey gaming regulator's rule book so you've got the official version.
Seats, the dealer button and the blinds
A disc called the button marks the player acting as dealer for this hand, even if one person does all the dealing. The player to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the next player posts the big blind, which Bicycle says is usually twice the small blind. Some games also ask everyone for a small ante. After every hand the button moves one seat clockwise, so everybody takes a turn paying the blinds.
Hole cards and the first betting round
The dealer gives each player two cards face down, one at a time, starting with the player to the left of the button, who is the small blind. These are your hole cards and they're for your eyes only. The first player to act is the one to the left of the big blind, known as under the gun. The big blind counts as a live bet, so every player must fold, call it or raise.
Flop, turn and river
- Before each new set of community cards, the dealer burns the top card face down. The New Jersey rules require this every time.
- The flop: three community cards are dealt face up, followed by a betting round.
- The turn: a fourth community card, sometimes called fourth street, then another betting round.
- The river: the fifth and final community card, sometimes called fifth street, then the last betting round.
- If two or more players are still in after the river betting, the hand goes to a showdown.
Who acts first on each street
This is the rule I see home games get wrong most often. Before the flop, the action starts to the left of the big blind. On every later round, it starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The blinds act early after the flop, and the button acts last, which is why the button is the best seat at the table.
| Betting round | Community cards showing | First to act | Can you check? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre flop | None | Player left of the big blind | No, the big blind is a live bet (only the big blind can check if nobody raises) |
| Flop | 3 | First active player left of the button | Yes, until someone bets |
| Turn | 4 | First active player left of the button | Yes, until someone bets |
| River | 5 | First active player left of the button | Yes, until someone bets |
Making the best five of seven
You can use both hole cards, one of them or neither. Bicycle's wording is that you may use any combination of the seven cards to make your best five card hand. That's different from Omaha, where WSOP notes you must use exactly two of your four hole cards. Suits are all equal in Hold'em, so a flush in hearts doesn't beat a flush in clubs with the same ranks.
Showdown order and split pots
At the showdown, Bicycle says the last player to bet or raise on the river shows first. If nobody bet on the river, the first player clockwise from the button shows first. The best five card hand takes the pot, and if the best hands are identical the pot is divided equally between them.
When the board plays
Sometimes the five community cards make a better hand than anything a player can build with their hole cards. The New Jersey rules say that in this case every player still in shares the pot equally. So if the board shows a straight to the ace and nobody can beat it, the pot is split, however good or bad your hole cards were.
Pineapple and other Hold'em spinoffs
- Pineapple: each player gets three hole cards and discards one before the flop. The New Jersey rule book lists it as an approved variation.
- Crazy Pineapple: the same three hole cards, but you discard one after the flop instead.
- Omaha: four hole cards, and you must use exactly two of them.
- Limit, pot limit and no limit describe how much you can bet, not different card rules. Bicycle notes that in limit games the big blind matches the small bet.
Hold'em goes by the same name in the UK, Canada and Australia, and the rules don't change between them.
What I'd tell a first timer
Watch the button, not the dealer, because the button decides who acts when. Play fewer hands from early seats and more from the button. Don't fall in love with one pair, because in a seven card game it's a common hand. And set a clear limit before you start: chips, counters or sweets are plenty for a home game, and the evening should end when the clock says so, not when someone's chasing a loss.
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Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you get in Texas Hold'em?
Two private hole cards each, plus five community cards shared by everyone.
Who goes first after the flop in Texas Hold'em?
The first active player to the left of the button. Before the flop, the player to the left of the big blind acts first.
Do you have to use both hole cards in Hold'em?
No. You can use two, one or none of your hole cards to make your best five card hand.
What happens if the board is the best hand?
Every player still in shares the pot equally, according to the New Jersey rules.
How big is the big blind?
Usually twice the small blind, although the exact amounts depend on the game you agree.
What is a burn card?
A card the dealer discards face down before dealing the flop, the turn and the river.
