The complete beginner's guide to playing poker.
Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker worldwide. Each player receives two private cards (hole cards), and five community cards are dealt face-up on the board. You make the best five-card hand using any combination of your hole cards and the community cards.
Before any cards are dealt, two players post forced bets called blinds. The player to the left of the dealer posts the small blind (half a bet), and the next player posts the big blind (one full bet). These blinds create action — without them, everyone would just wait for Aces.
Preflop: Each player receives two hole cards face down. Betting starts with the player left of the big blind. You can fold, call the big blind, or raise.
Flop: Three community cards are dealt face up. Second round of betting, starting with the first active player left of the dealer.
Turn: A fourth community card is dealt. Third round of betting.
River: The fifth and final community card is dealt. Final round of betting.
If two or more players remain after the river betting round, there's a showdown. Players reveal their hands and the best five-card hand wins the pot. If everyone folds before the showdown, the last remaining player wins the pot without showing their cards.
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. See the complete poker hand rankings with examples and tiebreaker rules.