How to Play Texas Hold ‘Em
Poker is a betting card game where players are dealt cards and the combination of the
cards that a player is dealt determines the strength of his or her hand. The cards dealt to the
player are hidden so a player can be successful even with a weak hand by mentally tricking the
other players. There are countless ways to play poker that have been created and innovated over
the years. Texas hold ‘em is considered the most popular way to play and is the format used by
most of the biggest tournaments in the world today.
Texas hold ‘em has grown in popularity because it is easy to play and because people
find the mixture of skill and luck entertaining. It is now just as popular online as it is in homes
and casinos. The game can be played with money or just for fun. Competitively, the game is
played for millions of dollars. Because Texas hold ‘em can be a gambling game, it is important
for the player to be conscious of the amount of money he or she is spending. Gambling can
become a problem for any player.
A hand of Texas hold ‘em has differing times that can range from a few minutes for
shorter hands to be much longer for extended hands. A hand in which all of the players except
one folds early ends much earlier than a hand in which every player waits until every card is
dealt. The whole game of Texas hold ‘em takes a much longer time, generally hours. The game
lasts as long as players in the money have chips and ends when one player has won all of the
chips.
Example of a Texas hold ‘em hand and chips
Source: http://www.peppermillreno.com/library/images/backgrounds/gaming_poker_cards.jpg
Materials

Standard 52 card deck of playing cards
o The playing cards are the most important part of the game. The game is played
through these cards which are dealt to the players and then dealt on the table.
Example of a standard deck of playing cards
Source: http://www.ageofruins.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/playing_cards-edit1.jpeg

Flat space to play
o Cards are dealt out on the table during Texas hold ‘em. Because of this, a table or
another area to lay cards down is needed. This makes playing Texas hold ‘em
more challenging to play in locations such as a car (though it is possible).

Chips or something else to bet with *Optional*
o Bets are made by the players in the game. If you run out of chips then you are out
of the game. Whoever has the most chips at the end of the game is the winner.
Even if you are not betting anything, the chips help the game flow and make it
easier to determine a winner. However, the game can still be played without chips
by playing each hand as a separate entity.
Example of poker chips
Source: http://cheap-poker-chips.weebly.com/uploads/3/3/4/5/3345374/s743505181735768_p1_i1_w345.jpeg

Money or something to bet *Optional*
o Often times, Texas hold ‘em is played for money. In casinos, different chips have
different money values that players can bet. Sometimes when playing with
friends, every player puts in a set amount that is distributed at the end of the game
when there is a player with all of the chips.
Different Types of Hands
Listed below are the different types of hands that you can have in Poker. The list starts with the
weakest hand and the hands get stronger as the list goes on. When two players have the same
strength of hand then the player with the higher ranking hand wins the round.
Different hands in poker
Source: http://www.bestonlinecasino.tips//wp-content/uploads/2013/07/poker-hand-rankings3.png

High Card
o When a hand has none of the other hands listed below, the highest value card in
the hand is the value of the hand. Ace is the highest valued card and 2 is the
lowest. This is the weakest hand in the game.

One pair
o When a hand has two cards of the same numerical value. The other three cards in
the hand do not function together.

Two Pair
o When a hand has two cards of the same numerical value and another two cards of
the same value different from the first two. The last card does not combine with
the other two pairs.

Three of a Kind
o When a hand has three cards of the same numerical value. The other two cards do
not function with the three of a kind or each other.

Straight
o When a hand has five cards in sequence.

Flush
o When a hand has five cards in the same suit but in no order.

Full House
o When a hand has both a three of a kind and another pair.

Four of a Kind
o When a hand has four cards of the same numerical value. The fifth card does not
function with the other four.

Straight Flush
o When a hand has five cards in sequence and in the same suit.

Royal Flush
o When a hand has the values 10, J, Q, K, and A in the same suit. This is the
strongest hand in the game.
Rank of cards in poker
Source: http://www.wsop.com/how-to-play-poker/images/how-to-card-rank.jpg
Before You Play
1) Before you start playing, you need to gather the materials. All of the necessary and
optional materials are listed above.
2) Determine how many people are going to be playing.
3) Determine if you will be betting and how much you will be betting if you decide to bet.
4) Distribute an equal number of chips to each player.
The Start of Each Round
1) At the start of each round, a dealer will shuffle the cards. The dealer generally rotates
between every player in the group to be fair. To make it easier for the players, a chip can
be used to signify who is the dealer. The chip rotates around the table signifying the
dealer. In casinos, there is already a dealer who does not participate in the game.
Sample poker table
Source: http://www.21ace.com/pictures/2in1pokertable.jpg
2) The big blind and little blind make their bets or every player puts in the ante amount.
These bets are mandatory to keep the game moving and encourage people to bet. The
amount of the blind/ante is determined by the players in the game and generally increases
as the game progresses to speed up the game. Traditionally, the big blind places the
minimum bet and the small blind places half of that.
3) The dealer deals two cards face down to each player.
Sample cards dealt to a player
4) After evaluating the strength of his or her hand, each player can elect to:
 Call: Matching the minimum bet.
 Raise: Increase the bet. Other players must match this to stay in the game.
Sometimes limits are put in place to control how much a player can raise.

Fold: Give up on the hand. Allows you to not continue betting on a poor hand.
5) The first player to bet is the player to the left of the big blind. The betting then rotates to
the left until every player has made a bet or folded.
6) After each player makes their initial bets, the first round of betting ends. Any player that
folded is out of the round.
7) If every player except one has folded, then the round ends. In this case, the player who
did not fold wins the round. The cards are then collected, shuffled, and another round
begins.
Second Round
1) The dealer places the flop on the table. The flop is the first three community cards that
are available for all players to use. They are placed face up on the table.
Example of a flop
2) The player to the left of the dealer starts the betting for the rest of the game. If the dealer
does not change, then the player who starts the betting rotates each round.
3) In addition to calling, raising, or folding the player now also has the option to check.
 Check: See what the other players to do before making a decision. The game goes
back to the player who checked to call, raise, or fold after all of the players have
made their decision.
4) After every player has made their decision to raise, call, or fold the second round of
betting ends. Any player that folded is out of the round.
5) If every player except one has folded, then the round ends. In this case, the player who
did not fold wins the round. The cards are then collected, shuffled, and another round
begins.
Third Round
1) The dealer places the turn on the table. The turn is the fourth community card that is
available for all players to use in addition to the flop. It is placed face up next to the flop.
Example of a turn with the flop
2) Betting continues like it did in the second round of betting starting with the player to the
left of the dealer and going around the table.
3) Players have the option to check, call, raise, or fold in this round.
4) After every player has made their decision to raise, call, or fold the third round of betting
ends. Any player that folded is out of the round.
5) If every player except one has folded, then the round ends. In this case, the player who
did not fold wins the round. The cards are then collected, shuffled, and another round
begins.
Final Round and Showdown
1) The dealer places the river on the table. The river is the fifth and final community card
placed on the table. It is also placed face up next to the turn. Because the river is the last
community card played, each player should now know the strength of their hand now
before betting.
Example of the river with the turn and the flop
2) The final round of betting begins starting with the player to the left of the dealer and
continuing around the table.
3) Players have the option to check, call, raise, or fold.
4) After every player has made their decision to raise, call, or fold the third round of betting
ends. Any player that folded is out of the round.
5) After the final round of betting ends, every player still in the round (players that did not
fold) reveals his or her hand.
6) The player with the strongest hand wins all of the chips bet in that round. The “Different
Types of Hands” section has all of the possible hands and their strength for reference.
7) After the winner is determined, every player returns their cards. The dealer rotates, the
cards are shuffled, and a new round begins.
8) Rounds continue until one player has all of the chips. The player with all of the chips
wins the game.
Poker player Alan Goehring wins tournament
Source: http://www.poker-babes.com/world-poker-tour/championship/Alan-Goehring.jpg
Betting
There are a couple different ways to bet when playing Texas hold ‘em. Betting is always
optional while playing with friends and the game can be played without betting. You can choose
to use chips or to just play out hands. If you decide to bet, there are a few different ways to bet
when playing Poker. It is important to be sure that you are clear with how the betting in the game
is going to work before starting a game. These are the most common rules when playing Poker;
players do not have to play by these rules if all players are in agreement with another set of rules.
Overall Betting With Chips
When playing with money, there are multiple ways to distribute the chips at the start of
the game. The first way is by buying chips where each chip has a certain worth. The chips
function as money and when you put the chips on the table, you are betting that amount. At the
end of the night, you can “cash out” the chips that you have for money. Generally when playing
this way, there is a buy-in, the minimum amount required to start playing. The amount of chips
that you receive is equivalent to how much you paid. If the player want, they can make all of the
players buy-in the same amount so every player starts with the same number of chips.
Another way of betting is for every player to buy-in, put in a certain amount, at the
beginning of the game. Every player puts in the same amount. Chips are distributed evenly
among all of the players and the game is played until there is one winner with all of the chips.
Different chips still have different values in the game but do not actually represent a certain
dollar amount. This person wins all of the money that the players put in at the beginning of the
game. Alternatively, you can choose to divide the winnings among the players who placed first,
second, third, etc. This is a decision that is left up to the players and should be discussed before
the game.
Example of chips. Colors are used to represent different values
Source: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/poker-chips-money-1447255.jpg
Blinds and Antes
At the beginning of each round, the betting can start with either antes or blinds. An ante
is when every player bets a certain predetermined amount every round. The amount is usually
small and may increase in value as the game progresses to speed up the game. Blinds are when
the two players to the left of the dealer are forced to bet (if the dealer does not change, you can
rotate around the table). The first player to the left is called the little blind and the second player
is called the big blind. The big blind pays an amount predetermined by the player that every
other player must match to play the hand. The little blind generally bets a smaller amount than
the big blind but must match the big blinds bet if he or she wants to play the hand; otherwise, the
little blind can fold. The amount that the little blind must bet is also predetermined by the players
before the start of the game. Often times, a two different chips are used to signify who is the little
and big blind for that round. This makes it easy for players to remember and keep track of the
game.
Example of the buttons used for the dealer, small blind, and big blind.
Source: http://www.brybelly.com/ebay/img/pokeracc/buttons/3packbuttons.jpg
Round of Betting
During each round, the player has the option to fold, check, call, or raise. Folding is when
a player gives up on the hand because he does not believe he can win. The reason to fold is to
avoid having to continue to match the bet and spend more chips to stay in the hand. When you
fold, the money that you have already put in the pot is lost. Because of this, folding later into a
hand generally costs the player more chips/money. Checking is when you pass your turn to see
what other players are going to do before making your decision. If a player raises the bet after
you check, you must match the amount or fold. If every player checks, then no money is put in
the pot for that round and the game continues. Calling is when a player matches the bet on the
table. If you do not call, then you must fold. Raising is when a player raises the bet. This puts
pressure on other players to invest more into a hand and makes winning the hand worth more. If
a player raises, every other player on the table must match the bet or fold. The round ends when
every player has matched the bet or folded.
Limits
In some games, limits are places on the betting to keep the game fair and running smooth.
Limits are optional and you can choose to play with no limits in the game. One limit that can be
played with is the “Spread Limit.” In this limit, the player can only bet within a certain range
predetermined by the players. There is a minimum and maximum amount that the player can
raise every round. For example, if the limit is $5 to $10 then the minimum a player can raise is
$5 and the maximum he or she can raise is $10. The minimum and maximum amount are set and
agreed upon by the players. Another limit is called the “Fixed Limit.” In this limit, there is a
fixed amount the player can bet each round that increases as the round progress. For example, the
limit can be $5 in the first couple rounds and $10 in later rounds. The amount that each round is
fixed to is also set and determined by the players. The final limit that people may play with is
called the “Pot Limit.” This limits the amount that a player can bet to the current amount in the
pot. This means that the pot can at most double each round. For example, if $5 was in the pot
from the previous round, the max that a player can raise is $5 making the pot $10 total.
Tips and Advice
Poker is both a game of probability and a mental game against the other players on the
table. You can use the cards you were dealt (and the community cards) to determine the odds of
you winning the hand and bet accordingly. You can also try to trick your opponents into thinking
you have a strong hand and convince them to fold. The game is very difficult to play well and
even the best players have bad or unlucky days. More experience playing the game will make
you a better player and allow you to make better decisions in the game.
It is important to understand that it is almost impossible to win every hand and to clear
your mind before every hand. It is possible for a player to go on a heavy winning or losing streak
but it is important for the player to not let the streak get in their head. A heavy losing streak
could make the player play too cautiously and slowly lose every hand while a heavy losing streak
could make the player overconfident and overplay a weaker hand.
It is important to have a clear mind when playing poker.
Source: http://awakeningthedivawithin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/clear-mind.jpg
It is also important not to have a tell, which is a habit you do showing the strength of your
hand. If other players can identify your tell, it makes winning hands more difficult and can
reduce the amount that you win on successful hands. It is also important to be looking at other
players for his or her tell. If you can find another players habits, it can benefit you when making
your decisions later on in the game. Even if you fold on a hand, paying attention to the other
players can be beneficial.
Example of a player with an obvious tell
Source: http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/55/85/63512694695877/0/whos-bluffing-recognize-tells-bluffs-poker-game.1280x600.jpg
Another way to be successful in poker is to know when to fold. If you do not think you
can win a hand, it is important to fold as early as possible to lose the least amount of chips
possible. Wanting to play every hand is dangerous because many hands will be weak and
difficult to win. Even in hands that the player is already playing, it is important to know when to
stop and avoid losing more than necessary. If you believe that another player has a stronger hand,
it is important to stop betting and cut your losses.
After gaining some experience with poker, you will learn what strong and weak starting
hands look like. There are many different opinions and agreements on what a strong hand looks
like but there are some general guidelines to help newer players. For example, having a pair in
your starting hand is usually a strong hand and having two cards that are different suits and very
different in rank is generally a bad sign. Having cards that are close in rank, such as a jack and
queen, can be a strong sign depending on the outcome of the community card. Cards that are the
same suit, such as two cards that are hearts, are also a strong combination to have in a starting
hand. Having cards that are close in rank and the same suit, such as the jack of hearts and queen
of hearts, is even stronger. Also having cards that are higher in rank is always preferable to lower
cards because in the event of a tie, the higher ranked cards will win. For example, having a jack
and a queen is preferable to having a two and a three. Because it is a game of probability, the
outcome of hands are not consistent; it is important to consider that even the best starting hands
will not always win.
Glossary

All-In: When a player puts all of his or her chips in the pot. If a player goes all-in and
other players with more chips/money want to continue betting, a side pot is used.

Ante: The bet that every player must make before the cards are dealt. Usually small in
value and sometimes increases as the game progresses to increase the pace of the game.

Big Blind: The second player to the left of the dealer must bet an amount called the big
blind. If the dealer does not change, then a set rotation is made. The amount differs
depending on the game but the value is usually bigger than the small blind.

Burn: Discarding the top card before playing the community cards.

Buy-In: The minimum amount every player must put in to start playing.

Call: To bet the minimum necessary to continue playing the hand.

Check: To see what other players bet before making your own bet. After the other
players make their bets, it comes back to the player that called check to call, fold, or
raise.

Community Cards: Cards dealt face up on the table that all players can use for their
hand.

Flop: The first three community cards dealt for the players to use.

Fold: To give up on the hand when your hand is weak to not bet and lose money. When
you fold you keep your cards face down so the other players cannot see what cards you
were dealt.

Pocket Cards (Hole Cards): The two cards you were dealt.

Rank: The numerical value of a card.

Raise: To bet more than the required amount to bet forcing other players to match your
bet or continue to raise the amount.

River: The last community card to be put on the table.

Showdown: After all of the community cards are played, the players that have not folded
reveal their cards in the showdown.

Side-Pot: An additional pot created for the rest of the players when one player cannot
contribute to the current pot anymore.

Small Blind: The first player to the left of the dealer is generally the small blind. If the
dealer does not change, then a set rotation is made. The small blind must bet a certain
amount that is usually less than the big blind.

Tell: A habit of a player that reveals the strength of their hand. Better players usually do
not have a tell.

Turn: The fourth card community card to be dealt by the dealer.
Works Cited
"How To Play | Terms." World Series of Poker. Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc. Web. 06
Apr. 2015.
"Texas Holdem Poker." PokerNews. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
Bochan, Toby. "Poker Basics - How to Bet in Poker." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.