Want to Master the Most Popular Variant of Poker — Texas Hold'em?

In this guide, you will learn the basics of the game, its rules, card combinations, and key strategic aspects.

What is Texas Hold'em?

Texas Hold'em is one of the most popular and dynamic variants of poker. Despite its simple basic rules, the game offers a wide range of strategic possibilities and an exciting gameplay experience.

Basic Rules of Texas Hold'em

Dealing Cards
Each player is dealt two hole cards, which are called "pocket cards."

Community Cards
Five community cards are placed on the table: three cards first (the flop), then one card (the turn), and finally one more card (the river). Players use any five cards from the available seven (two pocket cards and five community cards) to form the best hand.

Stages of Betting
The game involves four rounds of betting:

• Pre-flop — After the pocket cards are dealt, players decide whether to play their hand.
• Flop — Three community cards are dealt face-up, followed by a round of betting.
• Turn — The fourth community card is dealt face-up, followed by another round of betting.
• River — The fifth and final community card is dealt face-up, followed by the final round of betting.

After all the betting is complete, if more than one player remains in the hand, a showdown occurs, where the players reveal their cards and the winner is determined.

Mandatory Bets

There is a system of mandatory bets in Texas Hold'em — blinds — that ensure there are chips in the pot before the hand begins. The key position at the table is the button (dealer button). It represents the nominal dealer, and with each hand, it moves clockwise. The blinds are posted by the players to the left of the button, and they determine the order of action at the table.

The two players sitting to the left of the button post forced bets before the hand begins:

• Small Blind (SB) — The bet posted by the player sitting directly to the left of the dealer.
• Big Blind (BB) — The bet posted by the player sitting to the left of the small blind (usually twice the amount of the small blind).

How the Blinds Work:

• After the blinds are posted, each player is dealt two hole cards.
• The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
• In subsequent rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.
• The button moves clockwise after each hand.

In some games, there may be an additional forced bet called the ante, which is posted by all players to increase the pot before the betting begins.

Player Actions Options

A player has several possible actions in each betting round:

• Check — passing the turn to the next player without making a bet (if no bets have been made in the current round). On the pre-flop, this option is only available to the player on the big blind if no one has raised the bet before them.
• Bet — placing chips into the pot.
• Call — the player matches the last bet made.
• Raise — increasing the current bet.
• Fold — discarding the cards and leaving the hand.

All-In and Side Pot

If one of the players goes all-in by betting all their chips, they can only compete for the portion of the pot covered by their chips. If other players continue betting after the all-in, a side pot is created, which only includes players who still have additional chips. There may be a main pot and several side pots in a single hand, which are contested by different groups of players.

Example: In a pot of 100 chips, three players remain in the game. Player A has only 30 chips and goes all-in. Players B and C call Player A’s bet, each adding 30 chips to the main pot. If they decide to bet more, a side pot is created, in which Player A does not participate. At the end of the hand, the cards are revealed. If Player A has the best hand, they win only the main pot, while the side pot is contested between Players B and C.

This mechanism ensures that a player with a smaller stack cannot win more than they have bet, while other players can continue betting for additional funds in side pots.

Types of Texas Hold'em by Betting Structure

Texas Hold'em can vary based on the betting format. Depending on the rules, the size of possible bets may be limited or unrestricted. Below are the two main variants: No-Limit and Pot-Limit Hold'em.

No-Limit Hold'em (NL)

• A player can bet any amount of chips, up to their entire stack (all-in).
• The minimum bet is equal to the size of the big blind.
• The minimum raise must be at least equal to the previous bet or raise made in the same betting round.

Pot-Limit Hold'em (PL)

• The maximum bet or raise is limited to the current size of the pot.
• The minimum bet is equal to the size of the big blind.
• The minimum raise must be at least equal to the previous bet or raise made in the same betting round.

How Is the Maximum Raise Calculated?

Formula: Pot size + call amount + amount of player’s raise

Example:

• The pot contains 100 chips.
• Player 1 bets 100 chips.
• The pot now totals 200 chips (100 + 100).
• Player 2 can call with 100 chips, increasing the pot to 300 chips.
• After the call, Player 2 can make a maximum raise of 300 chips.
• As a result, his total contribution will be 100 (call) + 300 (raise) = 400 chips.

Poker Hands

There are 1,326 possible starting hands in Texas Hold'em. However, since suits have no priority, there are effectively 169 unique starting hands to consider.

Hand Rankings (from strongest to weakest):

1. Royal Flush – 10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit.
2. Straight Flush – Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank.
4. Full House – Three cards of one rank + a pair of another rank.
5. Flush – Five cards of the same suit (non-consecutive).
6. Straight – Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.
7. Three of a Kind (Set) – Three cards of the same rank.
8. Two Pair – Two pairs of cards of the same rank.
9. One Pair – Two cards of the same rank.
10. High Card – If no other hands qualify, the highest single card determines the winner.

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