Rules for Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em is the world's most popular poker variant, combining strategy, psychology, and excitement. The game suits 2-10 players (best with 6-9) and a hand typically takes 2-5 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck (no jokers) and poker chips.

The goal is to win the pot - the sum of all bets - either by having the best five-card hand at showdown or by making all other players fold. Each player uses their two hidden cards combined with five community cards to make the best possible hand.

Before starting, you need:

• Dealer button: A marker showing who's dealing. Rotates clockwise after each hand
• Texas Hold'em chips: Distribute chips to all players. Standard starting stack can be 100-200 times the big blind
• Blinds: Determine small blind and big blind amounts (e.g., 1/2 or 5/10)

The player left of the dealer button posts the small blind, and the player to their left posts the big blind. These forced bets ensure there's always something to play for.

From best to worst (all hands consist of five cards):

• Royal Flush: A♠️K♠️Q♠️J♠️10♠️ (highest straight flush)
• Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 8♦️7♦️6♦️5♦️4♦️)
• Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank (e.g., J♣️J♦️J♥️J♠️)
• Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair (e.g., K♠️K♦️K♣️7♥️7♠️)
• Flush: Five cards of the same suit (e.g., A♣️J♣️8♣️5♣️2♣️)
• Straight: Five consecutive cards (e.g., 9♠️8♦️7♣️6♥️5♠️)
• Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank (e.g., Q♣️Q♦️Q♥️)
• Two Pair: Two different pairs (e.g., A♠️A♣️8♦️8♥️)
• One Pair: Two cards of the same rank (e.g., 10♥️10♠️)
• High Card: None of the above combinations (e.g., A♠️K♦️J♣️9♥️5♠️)

A complete Texas Hold'em hand consists of several stages:

Pre-flop: Each player receives two cards (hole cards) that only they can see. First betting round starts with the player left of the big blind. Players can:

• Fold (give up the hand)
• Call (match the previous bet)
• Raise (increase the bet)

The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face-up. New betting round starts with the first active player left of the dealer button.

The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt. Third betting round follows.

The River: The fifth and final community card is dealt. Final betting round.

Showdown: If multiple players remain, they reveal their cards. Best hand wins the pot.

Texas Hold'em is commonly played in three main variants:

• No-Limit: Players can bet all their chips at any time (all-in). Most popular variant
• Pot-Limit: Maximum bet is the size of the pot
• Fixed-Limit: Fixed bet sizes. Usually doubles on turn and river

In each betting round, players can:

• Check: Pass without betting (only if no one has bet)
• Bet: Make the first wager in the round
• Call: Match the previous bet
• Raise: Increase the bet
• Fold: Give up and surrender the hand

When a player goes all-in (bets all their chips):

• They can only win as much from each opponent as they've bet themselves
• Any additional bets go into a side pot that only players with chips remaining can win
• At showdown, the all-in player only competes for the main pot

Example: Player A has 100 chips and goes all-in. Player B has 300 and calls. Player C has 250 and also calls. The main pot becomes 300 (100 from each), and a side pot of 300 is created (200 from B and 100 from C) that only B and C compete for.

Position is critical in Texas Hold'em:

• Early position: Players who must act first (small blind, big blind, under the gun)
• Middle position: Players in the middle
• Late position: Cut-off and dealer button - best positions as they act last

Basic strategy tips:

• Play tighter (fewer hands) in early position
• Be aggressive with strong hands
• Observe opponents' playing patterns
• Consider pot odds before calling
• Don't play too many hands - quality over quantity
• Your position affects which hands you should play

Important poker terms to know:

• Bluff: Betting with a weak hand to make others fold
• Nuts: Best possible hand given the community cards
• Pot odds: Ratio between pot size and the bet you must call
• Outs: Cards that can improve your hand
• Tight: Playing few but strong hands
• Loose: Playing many hands
• Aggressive: Betting and raising frequently
• Passive: Rarely betting or raising
• Tilt: Playing emotionally and poorly after losses
• Bad beat: Losing with a strong hand to a lucky opponent
• Kicker: Highest unpaired card that breaks ties

In poker tournaments, special rules apply:

• Everyone starts with equal chips
• Blinds increase at regular intervals (usually every 15-30 minutes)
• Players are eliminated when they lose all chips
• Prizes are distributed to top 10-20% of participants
• The winner is whoever has all the chips at the end

Tournament strategy differs from cash games - survival is more important than maximizing profit on individual hands. ICM (Independent Chip Model) affects decisions near the payout structure.

Texas Hold'em can be played as:

Cash game (Ring game):

• Chips have direct monetary value
• Can buy in and cash out anytime
• Blinds remain constant
• Focus on maximizing profit per hand

Tournament:

• Fixed buy-in, everyone starts equal
• Play until one winner takes all
• Blinds increase over time
• Focus on survival and positioning

Both formats require different strategies and approaches. Cash games reward patience and consistent play, while tournaments require adapting to shifting dynamics.