Home » Blog » Texas Hold'em Rules Guide
Published February 27, 2026 • 18 min read • by MonkeyPoker
Texas Hold'em is the most widely played poker variant on the planet. Whether you have watched it on television, seen it in movies, or heard friends talk about it at a home game, there is a good chance you have encountered Hold'em in some form. The game is played in every casino, on every major online poker platform, and at kitchen tables around the world.
The beauty of Texas Hold'em is that the rules can be learned in under fifteen minutes. Two cards to each player, five community cards on the board, and four rounds of betting. That is the skeleton. But understanding the details, the betting structure, hand rankings, positional play, and the flow of each hand, is what separates someone who knows the rules from someone who can actually sit down and play confidently.
This guide walks you through every element of the game from the ground up. No prior poker knowledge is assumed. By the end, you will understand how a hand plays out, what beats what, and how the betting works at every stage.
Texas Hold'em is a community card poker game. Each player receives two private cards (called hole cards) that belong only to them. Five community cards are then dealt face-up on the board. Every player uses some combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand.
The game can be played with anywhere from 2 to 10 players at a single table. The objective is simple: win chips by either having the best hand at showdown or by getting all other players to fold their hands before showdown. A typical hand takes between one and three minutes depending on how many players are involved and how much action there is.
There are three main formats of Texas Hold'em. No-Limit, where you can bet any amount at any time up to all your chips. Pot-Limit, where the maximum bet is the size of the current pot. And Fixed-Limit, where bets and raises are set at predetermined amounts. No-Limit is by far the most popular format and is the version played in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
A standard poker table seats between 6 and 10 players, though you can play with as few as 2 (called heads-up). Each seat at the table has a name based on its position relative to the dealer button.
The Button (BTN): The most advantageous seat. This player acts last on every post-flop betting round, giving them maximum information before making decisions.
Small Blind (SB): The player immediately to the left of the button. Posts a forced bet equal to half the minimum bet before any cards are dealt.
Big Blind (BB): The player to the left of the small blind. Posts a forced bet equal to the full minimum bet. These forced bets create action and give players something to compete for.
Under the Gun (UTG): The player to the left of the big blind. This is the first player to act before the flop and is considered the worst pre-flop position because you must decide with no information about what other players will do.
Middle Position (MP): The seats between early position and late position. These players have some information but still act before the most advantageous seats.
Cutoff (CO): The seat directly to the right of the button. The second-best position at the table, offering the opportunity to steal the blinds and act with good information.
Before any cards are dealt, two players must post forced bets called blinds. The small blind is typically half the size of the big blind. In a $1/$2 game, the small blind posts $1 and the big blind posts $2. These forced bets ensure there is always something in the pot to play for.
The dealer button is a round disc that moves one position clockwise after every hand. The button indicates which player is in the dealer position for that hand. In casinos and online poker, a professional dealer handles the cards, but the button still rotates to determine the order of action and the blinds.
After every hand, the button moves left, and the blinds move with it. This ensures every player pays the blinds at regular intervals and no one can avoid them permanently. Over the course of a full orbit (one trip around the table), every player will have been in every position once.
Poker hand rankings are universal across all poker variants. Memorize these from best to worst:
Once the blinds are posted, the dealer gives each player two cards face down. These are your hole cards, and only you can see them. The first round of betting now begins.
Action starts with the player to the left of the big blind (Under the Gun). This player has three options: fold (discard their cards and sit out the hand), call (match the big blind amount), or raise (increase the bet). In No-Limit Hold'em, the minimum raise is twice the big blind, and the maximum raise is all of your chips.
Action continues clockwise around the table. Each player can fold, call the current bet, or raise. When the action reaches the small blind, that player can fold, call the remaining amount (the big blind minus what they already posted), or raise. The big blind is the last to act pre-flop and can check (if no one has raised), call a raise, or re-raise.
The pre-flop betting round ends when all remaining players have put an equal amount of chips into the pot (or have folded). If only one player remains because everyone else folded, that player wins the pot without showing their cards.
After the pre-flop betting round is complete, the dealer places three cards face-up in the center of the table. This is called the flop. These three community cards are shared by all players and can be used by anyone to make their best five-card hand.
Before dealing the flop, the dealer "burns" one card (discards it face down). This is a security measure to prevent anyone from recognizing the top card. The burn card is never revealed or used.
A new betting round begins after the flop, starting with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. Unlike the pre-flop round, the player in the small blind position (or the next active player clockwise from the button) acts first. Players can check (pass the action without betting, only if no one has bet yet), bet, call, raise, or fold.
The flop is where the character of each hand reveals itself. With three of the five community cards now visible, players can evaluate the strength of their hand and the potential for improvement on later streets. A pair before the flop might become three of a kind. Suited hole cards might pick up a flush draw. The flop is where strategy truly begins.
After the flop betting round concludes, the dealer burns another card and deals one more community card face up. This fourth community card is called the turn (also known as "fourth street" in older poker terminology).
Another betting round follows, with the same structure as the flop round. The first active player to the left of the button acts first. In Fixed-Limit games, the bet size doubles on the turn. In No-Limit, players can still bet any amount up to their entire stack.
The turn is a critical street because players now have six of seven cards available (two hole cards plus four community cards). Draws either get closer to completing or become less likely. Strong hands need to protect against draws by betting appropriately. The turn is often where the largest bets occur and where the most consequential decisions are made.
The dealer burns a final card and deals the fifth and last community card face up. This is the river (also called "fifth street"). There are now five community cards on the board, and each player's final hand is determined.
The last betting round takes place, following the same structure. After this round, if two or more players remain, the hand goes to showdown.
The river is where draws either hit or miss, bluffs either succeed or get called, and the final pot is determined. There are no more cards to come, so every decision is final. Experienced players know that river decisions are the most impactful in terms of chips won or lost per hand.
If two or more players remain after the final betting round, the showdown occurs. Players reveal their hole cards and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
The player who made the last aggressive action (bet or raise) on the river typically shows first. If there was no betting on the river (everyone checked), the first active player to the left of the button shows first. However, in online poker, all remaining hands are shown automatically.
Each player makes their best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards. You can use both hole cards, one hole card, or even no hole cards (playing the board) if the five community cards make the best hand. If the best five-card hand is the community cards themselves, all remaining players split the pot.
In the case of identical hands, the pot is split equally. Suits have no ranking in Hold'em, so two identical hands of different suits result in a split pot.
There are five possible actions during any betting round:
MonkeyPoker has free tools, hand rankings charts, and practice resources to help you get started with Texas Hold'em today.
Visit MonkeyPokerWhen a player goes all-in (bets all their remaining chips), they can only win the portion of the pot they are eligible for. If other players continue betting, those additional chips go into a side pot that the all-in player cannot win.
Here is how it works with an example. Player A has $50, Player B has $150, and Player C has $200. Player A goes all-in for $50. Player B calls $50, and Player C calls $50. The main pot now has $150 (50 from each player). If Player B then bets $100 and Player C calls, that $200 goes into a side pot. Player A can only win the main pot ($150). Player B and Player C can win both the main pot and the side pot.
Multiple side pots can form when several players with different stack sizes go all-in. The dealer tracks each pot separately and awards them to the appropriate winners at showdown. In online poker, this is handled automatically. In live games, the dealer manages the side pots.
The all-in rule ensures that no player can be forced out of a hand simply because they have fewer chips. You can always call with whatever you have, even if it is less than the full bet amount. You are just limited in how much of the pot you can win.
Whether playing live or online, following basic etiquette makes the game more enjoyable for everyone:
Online poker has its own etiquette considerations. Avoid stalling unnecessarily (using the full time bank on every decision), do not berate players in the chat, and be gracious in both victory and defeat. The poker community is relatively small, and reputation matters.
Each player receives exactly two private cards (hole cards) that only they can see. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the board in three stages: three on the flop, one on the turn, and one on the river. Players use any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand. You always end up with seven total cards to choose from, but your final hand is always five cards.
In No-Limit Hold'em, you can bet any amount up to all your chips at any time. This creates the potential for dramatic all-in moments and puts maximum pressure on opponents. In Fixed-Limit Hold'em, bets and raises are set at predetermined amounts that double on the turn and river. Pot-Limit falls in between, capping the maximum bet at the current size of the pot. No-Limit is by far the most popular format worldwide and is the version used in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
Yes, a flush beats a straight. The full ranking from best to worst is: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. A flush (five cards of the same suit) is ranked higher than a straight (five consecutive cards) because it is statistically less likely to occur. A full house beats both a flush and a straight.
You can use both hole cards, one hole card, or even zero hole cards to make your best five-card hand. There is no requirement to use any specific number of your hole cards. If the five community cards make the best possible hand (for example, a straight on the board that no player can beat), all remaining players split the pot. However, in most situations, using at least one hole card gives you a better hand than playing the board alone.
If two players have identical five-card hands, the pot is split equally between them. Suits do not break ties in Hold'em. If both players have the same pair, the highest kicker (side card) determines the winner. For example, if both players have a pair of aces but one has a king kicker and the other has a queen kicker, the player with the king kicker wins. If all five cards are identical in rank, it is a split pot regardless of suits.
You now know every rule you need to sit down at a Texas Hold'em table and play confidently. The hand rankings, the betting structure, the flow from pre-flop through the river, and what happens at showdown. These fundamentals do not change whether you are playing a home game with friends, sitting at a casino table, or clicking buttons on an online platform.
The next step is simply to play. Start with free games or very low stakes to practice the mechanics without pressure. Focus on understanding the flow of each hand and making decisions at each betting round. Strategy and advanced concepts will come naturally as you gain experience.
Texas Hold'em has a learning curve that rewards patience and study. The rules are simple. Mastering the game takes time. But every great player started exactly where you are now, reading the rules and getting excited to play their first hand.
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