To play Texas Hold'em poker, the most popular poker variant, you use a standard 52-card deck to make the best five-card hand using your two private cards and five shared community cards.
Step-by-Step Game Rules
- Post the Blinds: The two players to the left of the dealer button post forced bets called the small blind and the big blind to start the pot.
- Pre-Flop Betting Round: The first betting round starts with the player to the left of the big blind. Players can fold (throw away their hand), call (match the current bet), or raise (increase the bet).
- The Flop: The dealer puts three face-up community cards in the center of the table, followed by a second round of betting. [1, 2]
- The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt face-up on the board, followed by a third round of betting. [1, 2]
- The River: The fifth and final community card is dealt face-up, followed by the fourth and final round of betting. [1, 2]
- The Showdown: If two or more players remain, they reveal their cards. The player with the best five-card combination wins the pot.