Basic Texas Holdem Rules

The best way to describe the Texas Holdem rules is to walk you through a round of play.

Preflop Play

Preflop play constitutes any action that takes

place before the flop is set down in the middle of the table.

Preflop play starts with the posting of the blinds. For each round, there are two blinds: the big blind and the small blind. The big blind is twice the size as the small blind. The blinds are posted by the two players to the left of the player with the dealer button. The player immediately to the left posts the small blind, and the player beside him posts the big blind.

After the blinds are posted, the cards are dealt. The dealer starts with the player to the left of the big blind and goes around the table twice, dealing everyone two cards face down.

After the cards are dealt, the preflop betting begins. The first player to act is the player to the immediate left of the big blind. If they want to play, they can either call or raise. A call is the same amount as the big blind and a raise is anything higher. If they don’t want to play this round, they can fold. Everyone at the tables does this when it is their turn. When the action gets to the big blind, if no one has raised, the big blind can “check” and not put any more money in. For the flop to be seen, everyone who wants to continue with their hand has to put in an equal amount.

The Flop

After all the preflop action is complete, the flop is dealt. These are the three community cards that are dealt in the middle of the table. After the flop is dealt, there is another betting round.

Betting round 1

In this, an all subsequent betting rounds, the action starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Players can check, call, raise or fold. If no one has made a bet, they can check. If someone has made a bet, they can call that amount, and if they want to make the pot bigger, they can raise. If they don’t want to put any more money into the pot, they can fold. Once everyone has acted, it is time for the turn.

The Turn

When the first betting round is complete, the turn card is dealt. It is a single card placed in the middle of the table with the other community cards. When the turn is dealt, another round of betting begins.

Betting Round 2

This betting round is the exact same as the previous betting round. Action starts with the player to the left of the dealer. Once complete, the river is dealt.

The River

The river is the final community card to be dealt. It is another single card placed beside the community cards. After the river is dealt, the final betting round begins.

Final Betting Round

Just like all other betting rounds, the action starts with the player to the left of the dealer and goes around the table. This is the last chance for anyone to bet.

The Showdown

When all the bets are in, it is time for the showdown. This is when the winner is determined.

Whoever has the best hand, made up of any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards wins. If there is a tie, the pot is split between the winning players. When the winnings are paid out, the next round begins.

As you can see, Holdem is not a very difficult game to play. Follow the simple guidelines and you will be having fun for a very long time!