Texas Hold'em Rules

If you know anything about poker, you have undoubtedly heard of the game of Hold'em, but you may not be familiar with the Texas Hold'em rules. Here are all the basics you need to know about the general Texas Hold'em rules.

Texas Hold'em Rules: Cards
The Texas Hold'em rules call for each player to receive two hole cards (dealt face down) and to share five community cards that are dealt onto the board at the center of the table. The player's five-card poker hand is made up of any combination of these seven cards.

Texas Hold'em Rules: Dealing and Betting
There is generally no ante in Texas Hold'em. Instead, the standard Texas Hold'em rules require that the player to the left of the dealer place a bet, called the small blind. This first bet is usually half of the minimum bet for the table. The next player to the left posts the big blind, a bet that is usually in the same amount as the table's minimum bet. Once the blinds are posted, each player receives two private cards, dealt face down.

The first round of betting commences after all the players have their private cards. The blinds function as the bets for the first two players, so the next player to the left can call or raise. After the bets are placed, the dealer places three face up cards on the table called the flop. This is the pivotal round, since players now have substantial information on which to base their bets. The flop betting round is followed by two more community cards and subsequent betting rounds.

Texas Hold'em Rules: Showdown
Once all of the cards are on the table and players have placed their bets, the player who made the last raise (or the player who made the initial bet if there were no raises) shows their cards. Texas Hold'em rules follow standard poker rankings, so the best poker hand wins the pot.