The Official Rules of Texas Hold'em Poker

Welcome to the foundational guide for the world’s most popular poker game. At Master Poker, we believe that a deep understanding of the rules is the first step toward true mastery. Texas Hold’em is a game of elegant simplicity and profound strategic depth. While it’s famously said to take a moment to learn and a lifetime to master, this guide will ensure the learning part is clear, concise, and complete.

Here, we will break down every phase of a Texas Hold’em hand, from the initial setup to the final showdown.

1. The Objective of the Game

The primary objective in Texas Hold’em is to win the pot, which is the sum of all bets made in a single hand. You can win the pot in two ways:

At Showdown: By having the best five-card poker hand according to the official hand rankings.
Without a Showdown: By making a bet that causes all other players to fold (give up) their hands.

This dual objective is what makes poker a game of skill, not just cards. You don’t always need the best hand to win.

2. The Setup: Blinds and the Button

Before any cards are dealt, the game needs a structure. This is established by the Button and the Blinds.

The Dealer Button: A round disc that indicates who the nominal “dealer” is for the hand. After each hand, the button moves one seat to the left, ensuring everyone takes turns in every position.
The Small Blind (SB): The player immediately to the left of the Dealer Button must post a small, forced bet. This is the “small blind.”
The Big Blind (BB): The player to the left of the Small Blind must post a larger, forced bet, typically double the size of the small blind.

These two “blind” bets create the initial pot and give players something to compete for. They are the only players who have put money in the pot before seeing their cards.

3. The Flow of a Hand: The Four Betting Rounds

A hand of Texas Hold’em is broken into four distinct stages, or “streets,” each followed by a round of betting.

Round 1: Pre-Flop

Once the blinds are posted, every player is dealt two cards face down. These are your hole cards, and they are for your eyes only.

The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the Big Blind. This player has three options:

Call: Match the amount of the Big Blind.
Raise: Increase the bet. A standard raise is usually 2 to 3 times the Big Blind.
Fold: Discard their hand without betting any money.

Betting continues clockwise around the table, with each player having the same options. The round ends when all players have either folded or put the same amount of money into the pot.

Round 2: The Flop

After the pre-flop betting round is complete, the dealer places three cards face up in the middle of the table. These are the first of five community cards, and this three-card stage is known as the Flop. These cards can be used by all remaining players to construct their five-card hand.

A new round of betting begins, starting with the first active player to the left of the Dealer Button.

Round 3: The Turn

After the flop betting round concludes, the dealer places a fourth community card face up. This card is called the Turn (or Fourth Street).

Another round of betting occurs, following the same rules as the previous round. The pot size often grows significantly at this stage.

Round 4: The River

The dealer places the fifth and final community card face up. This is the River (or Fifth Street).

A final round of betting takes place. This is the last chance for players to bet before the winner is determined.

4. The Showdown: Determining the Winner

If two or more players remain after the final betting round on the river, a Showdown occurs.

Players reveal their two hole cards.
Each player forms the best possible five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards on the board.
The player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins the entire pot. (For a full list, visit our Poker Hand Rankings page).

If two or more players have the exact same five-card hand, it is a tie. In this case, the pot is split evenly among them.

5. Player Actions: The Rules of Betting

In any betting round, you have several options. Understanding these is critical to playing the game.

Check: If no bet has been made in the current round, you can “check.” This is a decision to pass the action to the next player without betting. If all players check, the round ends, and the next community card is dealt.
Bet: To make the first wager in a betting round. Once a bet is made, other players can no longer check; they must call, raise, or fold.
Fold: To discard your hole cards and surrender any claim to the pot. A folded hand cannot win.
Call: To match the amount of the current bet or raise. This allows you to stay in the hand.
Raise: To increase the size of the current bet. Other players must then call your new, higher bet to stay in the hand.

6. Important Special Rules

The “All-In” Rule: A player cannot be forced to fold simply because they don’t have enough chips to call a bet. A player can bet all of their remaining chips (go “all-in”). They are then eligible to win a portion of the main pot up to the amount of their last bet.
Side Pots: When a player is all-in and other players with more chips continue to bet, a “side pot” is created. The all-in player can only win the main pot, while the other players can win both the main pot and the side pot(s).
Betting Structures: While No-Limit Texas Hold’em (where you can bet any amount of your chips at any time) is the most popular, you may also encounter:
- Pot-Limit: The maximum bet is limited to the current size of the pot.
- Fixed-Limit: Bets and raises are made in fixed increments.

Conclusion

You now have a solid understanding of the rules of Texas Hold’em. The sequence is simple: blinds are posted, and the game flows from Pre-Flop to Flop, Turn, River, and finally, the Showdown.

With these rules as your foundation, the next logical step is to memorize what beats what. We highly recommend visiting our Poker Hand Rankings page next to continue your journey to becoming a master of the felt.