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A hand starts with blinds and private cards
Texas Hold'em begins with a small blind and a big blind. After blinds are posted, each player receives two private cards face down.
The dealer button moves around the table. It marks action order and matters because acting later gives more information. New players should learn the order before trying to memorize a starting-hand chart.
- 1
Blinds are posted
The small blind and big blind create the first pot and force action.
- 2
Two hole cards are dealt
These are your private cards. They may both, one, or neither be used at showdown.
- 3
Preflop action begins
Players fold, call or raise before any community cards appear.
What wins
Hand rankings decide showdown, not how pretty the draw looked
The winner is the player with the best five-card poker hand, unless everyone else folds before showdown.
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1 · Straight flush
- Hand
- Straight flush
- What it means
- Five cards in sequence and the same suit.
2 · Four of a kind
- Hand
- Four of a kind
- What it means
- Four cards of one rank plus a kicker.
3 · Full house
- Hand
- Full house
- What it means
- Three of a kind plus a pair.
4 · Flush
- Hand
- Flush
- What it means
- Five cards of the same suit.
5 · Straight
- Hand
- Straight
- What it means
- Five cards in sequence; ace can be high or low.
6 · Three of a kind
- Hand
- Three of a kind
- What it means
- Three cards of one rank.
7 · Two pair
- Hand
- Two pair
- What it means
- Two separate pairs plus a kicker.
8 · One pair
- Hand
- One pair
- What it means
- One pair plus three kickers.
9 · High card
- Hand
- High card
- What it means
- No pair or better; highest cards decide.
| Rank | Hand | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Straight flush | Five cards in sequence and the same suit. |
| 2 | Four of a kind | Four cards of one rank plus a kicker. |
| 3 | Full house | Three of a kind plus a pair. |
| 4 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit. |
| 5 | Straight | Five cards in sequence; ace can be high or low. |
| 6 | Three of a kind | Three cards of one rank. |
| 7 | Two pair | Two separate pairs plus a kicker. |
| 8 | One pair | One pair plus three kickers. |
| 9 | High card | No pair or better; highest cards decide. |
A royal flush is the highest straight flush
A royal flush is an ace-high straight flush, not a separate hand category. If the best five-card hand is entirely on the board, active players can split the pot; unused hole cards do not break that tie.
Street order
Preflop, flop, turn and river each have their own decision
A full hand can have four betting rounds. The same cards can lead to different decisions because pot size, position and opponent range change each street.
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Preflop
- Cards visible
- Only hole cards
- Main player question
- Is this hand playable from this position against this action?
Flop
- Cards visible
- Three board cards
- Main player question
- What hand or draw do I have, and what price am I being offered?
Turn
- Cards visible
- Four board cards
- Main player question
- Did the new card change equity, blockers or betting pressure?
River
- Cards visible
- Five board cards
- Main player question
- Can my made hand call, bet for value or bluff?
| Street | Cards visible | Main player question |
|---|---|---|
| Preflop | Only hole cards | Is this hand playable from this position against this action? |
| Flop | Three board cards | What hand or draw do I have, and what price am I being offered? |
| Turn | Four board cards | Did the new card change equity, blockers or betting pressure? |
| River | Five board cards | Can my made hand call, bet for value or bluff? |
Action order changes after the flop
Preflop action normally starts with the first active player to the left of the big blind. After the flop, it starts with the first active player to the left of the button. Heads-up is the exception: the button posts the small blind and acts first preflop, while the big blind acts first postflop.
Settlement
Showdown compares the best five cards and may create split pots
If more than one player remains after the river betting round, the hands are shown and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
- A player can use two hole cards, one hole card, or only the board.
- Kickers matter only inside the best five-card hand.
- All-in players can create side pots they are not eligible to win.
- A player who folds cannot win the pot, even if later cards would have helped.
Settlement example: the board plays
With A♣ K♦ Q♥ J♠ 10♣ on the board, every active player has the same ace-high straight. The pot is split because no unused hole card can improve that five-card hand.
Game type
Cash games, tournaments and rake change the context
The core hand flow is similar, but bankroll, blind pressure and fees feel different in cash games and tournaments.
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Cash game
- What changes
- Chips usually represent money value directly.
- Player habit
- Watch table stakes, rake and effective stack.
Tournament
- What changes
- Blinds rise and survival has value.
- Player habit
- Do not treat cash-game chip EV as the full answer.
Rake
- What changes
- The house may take a fee from pots or entries.
- Player habit
- A small edge can disappear after costs.
Betting structure
- What changes
- No-limit, pot-limit and fixed-limit cap bets differently.
- Player habit
- Check the room's raise and all-in rules before playing.
| Context | What changes | Player habit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash game | Chips usually represent money value directly. | Watch table stakes, rake and effective stack. |
| Tournament | Blinds rise and survival has value. | Do not treat cash-game chip EV as the full answer. |
| Rake | The house may take a fee from pots or entries. | A small edge can disappear after costs. |
| Betting structure | No-limit, pot-limit and fixed-limit cap bets differently. | Check the room's raise and all-in rules before playing. |
Next steps
Rules → Preflop → Postflop → Outs / Pot Odds → Trainer
Learn the table flow first, then move through preflop position, postflop board reading, outs and pot odds before practicing with the trainer.
Use the compact learning path below to see your current step and the next decision. The full five-step route stays available without repeating the same large cards through the article.
Texas Hold'em rules FAQ
Do I have to use both hole cards in Texas Hold'em?
No. You make the best five-card hand from any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards.
- You can use two, one or zero hole cards.
- Unused hole cards do not break a board-only tie.
What are the blinds for?
The small blind and big blind force money into the pot before cards are dealt, so the hand has action to fight for.
- The button and blinds rotate.
- Blind size and structure depend on the table or tournament.
What are the flop, turn and river?
The flop is the first three community cards, the turn is the fourth card and the river is the fifth card.
- A betting round follows each street.
- Later streets can change both hand strength and pot odds.
Are cash games and tournaments the same?
They use the same basic Hold'em hand flow, but chip value, blind pressure, payout structure and player incentives can be very different.
- Cash-game chips usually map to money value.
- Tournament chips depend on survival and payout structure.
Sources and method
Rules references used for this guide
- Wizard of Odds: Texas Hold'emUsed to verify common Hold'em flow, blinds, hand rankings and pot-odds context.
- Poker Tournament Directors Association: Poker TDA RulesUsed as a tournament rules reference for action-order and showdown context.
Rules knowledge is not a profit claim
Poker decisions involve incomplete information, rake, variance and player skill. Use this rules guide to understand the game flow before risking money, and set a personal limit before playing.