Texas Hold'em Rules
The complete rules of Texas Hold'em: blinds, the deal, all four betting rounds, showdown, and how the winner is decided — everything you need to play a hand.
On this page · 7 sections
Texas Hold’em is played with two hole cards per player and five shared community cards, with four betting rounds. Make your best five-card hand from any combination of the seven; the best hand at showdown — or the last player not folded — wins the pot. Here are the full rules, in order.
1. Blinds and the deal
The two players left of the dealer button post forced bets: the small blind and the big blind. These seed the pot so there’s something to play for. Each player is then dealt two private hole cards, face down.
2. The four betting rounds
| Round | Community cards | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-flop | none | First action is left of the big blind |
| Flop | 3 dealt | First action left of the button |
| Turn | +1 (4 total) | Bets often double in limit games |
| River | +1 (5 total) | Final betting round |
On each round, in turn, a player may check (if no bet to face), bet/raise, call, or fold.
The betting actions, explained
On your turn you always have a defined set of options. Knowing exactly what each one means is half of learning the rules:
| Action | When it’s available | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Check | Only if no one has bet this round | Pass the action without putting chips in |
| Bet | If no one has bet yet | Put chips in, forcing others to call, raise, or fold |
| Call | If there’s a bet to face | Match the current bet to stay in the hand |
| Raise | If there’s a bet to face | Increase the bet, forcing others to match the new amount |
| Fold | Any time it’s your turn | Surrender your cards and any claim to the pot |
A round of betting ends when everyone still in the hand has either put in equal chips or folded. Then the next community card(s) are dealt and a new round begins.
Blinds, antes, and the button
The button marks the nominal dealer and moves one seat clockwise after every hand, so the blinds rotate and everyone pays their fair share over time. The small blind is typically half the big blind. In later tournament stages, an ante (a small forced bet from every player) is often added to build bigger pots and force action.
Position is tied directly to the button: the player on the button acts last on the flop, turn, and river — the most powerful seat, because they decide with the most information. That’s why the same two cards are worth more on the button than under the gun. Learn which hands to play from each seat in Texas Hold’em starting hands.
Table stakes and going all-in
Hold’em is played table stakes: you can only wager the chips you have in front of you at the start of the hand, and you can’t reach for more mid-hand. If a bet is larger than your remaining stack, you can go all-in for what you have. When you’re all-in and others keep betting, a side pot is created for the extra chips — you can only win the main pot you contributed to.
3. Showdown
If two or more players remain after the river, they reveal their cards. The best five-card hand wins — using the hand rankings. If hands tie, the pot is split.
4. A full hand, start to finish
Blinds posted ($1/$2). You’re dealt A♥ K♣.
- Pre-flop: you raise to $6; one player calls.
- Flop
K♦ 8♠ 3♣: you’ve hit top pair (kings) with an ace kicker. You bet $10; called. - Turn
2♥: no change; you bet $24; called. - River
7♦: still top pair. You bet for value; called. - Showdown: your
K-K-A-8-7beats their pair of eights. You win.
That’s a complete hand. Now sharpen the part that wins money before the flop: which starting hands to play, and the full Texas Hold’em guide.
Frequently asked
What are the basic rules of Texas Hold'em?
Two players post blinds, everyone gets two hole cards, and five community cards are dealt across the flop, turn, and river with a betting round at each step. The best five-card hand at showdown wins.
How many cards do you get in Texas Hold'em?
Two private hole cards each, plus five shared community cards — you make your best five-card hand from any of the seven.
Who acts first in Texas Hold'em?
Pre-flop, the player left of the big blind acts first. On every later round, the first active player left of the dealer button acts first.