♠️ How to play Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker. Each player gets two face-down cards, and five community cards are revealed in stages. The goal: make the best five-card hand out of the seven available. We will walk through the flow, the actions, an example hand, and why your seat matters.
The hand, step by step
- Blinds: the two players left of the dealer post a forced bet, small and big.
- Hole cards: two private cards per player.
- Preflop: the first betting round, on the hole cards.
- Flop: three community cards, then a round.
- Turn: a fourth card and a round.
- River: a fifth and final card and a round.
- Showdown: whoever remains shows their cards, the highest hand takes the pot.
What you can do each round
- Check: pass without betting, if nobody has bet before you.
- Call: match the current bet.
- Raise: increase the bet.
- Fold: throw your cards and drop out.
- All-in: put in all your remaining chips.
An example hand, start to finish
Say you hold A♠ K♠. Preflop you raise and one opponent calls. The flop comes K♥ 7♣ 2♠, giving you a pair of kings with an ace kicker, a strong hand, so you bet and they call. The turn is 4♦, which changes nothing, and you bet again. The river is Q♠ and you still have top pair. At showdown your opponent reveals K♦ 9♦, also a pair of kings, but your kicker, the ace, beats their nine, and you take the pot.
Position: why your seat matters
Position is when you act in a round. Acting later means you see what everyone else did first, an information edge. The best seat is the button (the dealer marker), which acts last after the flop. The hardest seat is right after the blinds, acting first with almost no information. As a rule, play more hands in late position and be more cautious in early position.
Frequently asked
How many cards do you get in Texas Hold’em?
Two face-down cards, plus five community cards on the table. Your hand is the best five of those seven.
What is a blind?
A forced bet before the deal, so there is always a pot to play for. The big blind is double the small blind.
Who starts the betting round?
Preflop, the player left of the big blind starts. From the flop on, the first active player left of the dealer starts.
What is the button?
The marker showing who is dealer this hand. It moves one seat each hand and decides who posts the blinds and who acts last.
This guide teaches the rules only. Adds Up is not a gambling product and moves no real money.