Texas Hold’em Rules

Texas hold’em and seven-card stud are somewhat similar. The main difference is that in Texas hold’em everyone has only two cards each (face down) for personal use and five cards face up in the middle of the table, to be shared by all the players. (Those are called “community cards.”) So each player has seven cards from which to make the best five-card poker hand- except that five of those cards are used by all the other players as well. Texas hold’em can be played by up to nine players. Another difference is there are only four betting rounds in Texas hold’em as opposed to five in seven-card stud.

Texas hold’em is played with a standard fifty-two-card deck. Before any cards are dealt, there are two initial bets called blinds (because there are no cards yet on which to bet). This is the equivalent of an ante in other card games. The players that put in the two initial bets are determined by the button, a marker that rotates clockwise around the table, so that betting begins with a different player every game. The player to the left of the button puts into the pot a small blind. The player to the left of that player puts into the pot a big blind. Usually the big blind is the amount of the low spread and the small blind is usually half the big blind. (The spread is the table limit.) For example, in a $2-$4 game, the big blind would $2 and the small blind would be $1.

The casino dealer then deals each player two cards face down. Then, the player to the left of the big blind must call, raise, or fold. To call, that player would have to bet the same amount as the big blind. To raise, that player would bet the amount of the big blind plus the small amount in the betting spread. For example if you’re playing at a $2-$4 table, the small amount is the $2 bet. Betting moves clockwise until either a player has folded or has called the last bet. There may be only three raises per round of betting.

After the first round of betting, the casino dealer deals each player three cards, face up in the middle of the table. These first three community cards are called the flop. Now all players remaining in the game have two cards for themselves face down and three cards face up that are shared by all players.

Next is another round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the button and moving clockwise. Each player has a choice to check (stay in but bet nothing, if no one else has bet any money), bet, raise (only if another player has previously bet), or fold (drop out and forfeit the pot). A bet may consist of the small spread or the large spread. (The large spread is an option only after the flop.) Betting continues until each player has called the last bet or folded. Again, there’s a limit of three raises per round.

After the second betting round, the casino dealer reveals the fourth community card. Then comes a third round of betting. Once again, betting begins left of the button. This round of betting is identical to the pre vious round. Each player has a choice to check, bet, raise, or fold. The round ends when all players have either called the last bet or folded.

Next, the casino dealer reveals the final community card. Now the players each have two cards face down in their hands, plus the five community cards face up in the middle of the table. From these seven cards, each player remaining in the game must make the best five-card poker hand. The remaining players make their final bets. Once again, just as in the two previous betting rounds, the first player to the left of the button begins this round of betting. The choices are still to check, to bet, to raise, or to fold. After each player has either called the last bet or folded, the showdown begins.

The showdown starts with the player who made the last bet, not the last player who called. This player reveals his or her best five-card poker hand. Going clockwise around the table, the remaining players show their hands, if they can beat the previous high hand. If they can’t beat the high hand, they’re out. The player with the highest hand wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the players involved in the tie split the pot.

Take a look at The Art of Texas hold’em: Mastering Blinds, Bets, and Card Distribution. In this example, there will be nine players: Mark, Jennifer, Kurt, Rob, Mike, Joe, Pam, Debbie, and George. Nine is usually the maximum number of players in Texas hold’em, but some casinos allow more players. The table betting limit is $2-$4.