Texas Hold Em Rules

Learning the Texas hold em rules will help you understand the poker you see on the television because most big poker tournaments play this kind of poker.

Set Up

First you spread out the poker chips evenly to all players. You deal everyone 2 cards face down.

Play, Texas hold em rules

Before you get your cards you have to decide who is big blind and who is little blind. Big blind puts in the full anti and little blind puts in half of the anti. The little blind person is always the person to the right of big blind. Every hand both big blind and little blind move left 1 person.

After blinds are in and everyone has their cards you are ready for your first round of betting. Betting is done clockwise starting from the person directly to the left of big blind.

When it is your turn to bet you must at least call the big blind if you want to stay in. You can also choose to fold or raise (put in more money).

After the first string of betting the dealer puts 1 card face down in the middle of the table and 3 cards face up. Those 3 cards combined with your two cards give you your hand.

From here everyone bets starting with the little blind.

Next 1 card is put face down in the middle of the table and 1 more card is put face up. Your hand is now the best 5 cards from the 4 cards face up and the 2 cards in your hand.

From here everyone bets starting with little blind.

Finally 1 more card is put face down and 1 more card is put face up on the field.

From here everyone bets starting with little blind.

Then everyone flips. The person with the best 5 card hand wins and gets the chips that were bet. (Your hand is the best 5 card hand from the 5 cards on the board and your 2 face down cards)

Betting Texas hold em rules

Betting is done clockwise every round starting with little blind. The exception is before the flop. Before the flop betting is done clockwise starting with the person left of big blind.

The first person can do 1 of 3 things.

1. Check – which means they do not put any money in.

2. Open (raise) – which means they put money in, you have to say how much you are raising too, ex “raise $5.”

3. Fold – you can always say I’m not going to win and just fold. In which case the dealer takes your cards and puts them on the bottom of the deck.

Everyone else can do 1 of 4 things.

1. Check – if everyone checks you all get to draw new cards for free. If someone doesn’t check you can’t check.

2. Call – if someone bets money you at least have to call them. If they bet $2 you at least have to put $2 if you want to see the next cards.

3. Raise – You can raise as much as you want. If someone puts in $2 you can always say raise $3.

4. Fold – if you don’t want to call you can always fold. In which case the dealer takes your cards and puts them on the bottom of the deck.

Hands, Texas hold em rules

1. High card – Nothing

2. Pair – you have 2 of the same kind, ex pair of 10s bigger pairs are better.

3. Two pair – you have 2 pairs, ex pair of 10s and pair of 2s bigger the numbers the better.

4. 3 of a king – you have 3 of the same, ex 3 7s bigger 3 of a kind is better.

5. Strait – your cards go in order, ex 2, 3,4,5,6 the higher the numbers the bigger the strait.

6. Flush – all cards are the same suit, ex 5 hearts

7. Full House – 3 of a kind plus a pair.

8. Strait flush – a strait that is also a flush, ex 4,5,6,7,8 of diamonds.

9. Royal Flush – the same as a strait flush only its 10-Ace of 1 suit.

Split Pot, Texas hold em rules

When 2 or more players have the exact same hand the chips that were bet are split between everyone who tied.

Side Pot, Texas hold em Rules

When someone goes all in and multiple people call him all the chips that were bet up to that point go to his side pot, just in case he wins.

This way all other players can still bet. For example, say Philip goes all in. Both Ray and Chris call him and a side pot of $2,000 is made for Philip.

Ray and Chris keep betting and put a total of $1500 more into the pot. The cards are flipped and Philip has the best hand.

Philip gets the side pot of $2000. Ray has the 2nd best hand so he gets the $1500 that was bet after Philip went all in.

However if Ray had a better hand then both Chris and Philip he would have token the whole pot of $3500.

Winning

You keep playing until everyone has all the chips. That person is the winner.