Texas Holdem
Texas Hold’em is the most popular game in the world and is the most played game on our website. We offer both cash games and tournament varieties of the game. Here we will give you the rundown of the gameplay of Texas Hold’em but if you are more of a hands-on learner we encourage you to try our play money games where you can get the hang of it for free.
Texas Hold’em Gameplay:
- Blind Pay – At the beginning of each hand, 2 blinds are placed which are preliminary bets designed to encourage action. The blinds (the small blind and the big blind) are placed by the 2 players directly to the left of the dealer.
- The dealing of the initial cards – 2 pocket cards (that can only be seen by each individual player) are dealt, face-down.
- First Round of Betting – Before the flop is dealt the first round of betting begins based on the strength of the original 2 cards dealt (pocket cards). Betting begins with the player on the immediate left of the big blind and ends with the big blind.
- Dealing of the flop – After the first round of betting has been completed; 3 cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These cards are known as community cards as they can be used by all players.
- Second Round of Betting – Betting now begins with the active player directly to the right of the dealer and continues around the table.
*In all betting rounds, the firts active player immediately clockwise from the button acts firts
- Dealing of the turn – A fourth community card is placed on the table face up.
- Third Round of Betting – In a no-limit or pot-limit game the betting rounds continue in the same way as the first and second. In a limit game betting is now raised to the higher stake amount. For instance betting increments would be $20 in a $20/$40 limit game.
- Dealing of the River – The fifth and final community card is dealt face up on the table.
- Fourth and Final Betting Round – Players make their final bets based upon the strength of their hand.
- Showdown – Players showdown their cards to determine the winner of the hand. The player showing their cards first is the last player in the hand to have made a bet or raise.
- Awarding of the Pot -The player who has made the strongest 5 card hand out of the 9 (4 hole cards and 5 community cards) is awarded the pot.