Texas Hold’em Poker: Rules and Hand Rankings

Texas Hold'em is the poker game most people picture when they hear the word. Four betting rounds, seven cards and two hidden ones produce a game of enormous depth from very few rules.

Dealing and the four betting rounds

Two players to the left of the dealer post forced bets – the small blind and the big blind – which guarantees money in the pot before anyone acts. Each player then receives two private hole cards.

The action moves through pre-flop, flop (three shared cards), turn (a fourth) and river (a fifth). In each round you may check, bet, call, raise or fold. The best five-card hand you can build from your two hole cards and the five community cards wins the pot at showdown.

The hand rankings, in order

From strongest to weakest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. A straight may not wrap around, so ace-king-queen-jack-ten is the highest and ace-two-three-four-five is the lowest.

When two players share the same category, kickers break the tie. If the five best cards are identical, the pot is split – which is common on flush and straight boards.

Position is the real edge

Because you act last on every post-flop street when you sit to the dealer's immediate right, position lets you see what everyone does before you decide. A mediocre hand played in position is usually more profitable than a good hand played out of position.

This is why tight-aggressive play from late position forms the backbone of winning strategy: play fewer hands, play them aggressively, and play them when you have the informational advantage.

Frequently asked questions