Texas Hold'em

Buy-in

Players must ‘buy-in’ with a minimum amount of chips when sitting down at a table. The minimum buy-in amount is equal to ten times the lower bet limit of the game. For example on a $3/$6 table the minimum buy-in is $30, on a $10/$20 table the minimum buy-in is $100.

Game Summary

A ‘dealer button’ is used to indicate where the cards are to be dealt from. The two players to the left of the button must place bets called the ‘small blind’ and ‘big blind’. It is called a blind because players must place a bet before seeing their cards.

The play then begins with two cards dealt facedown to each player. Action starts with a betting round beginning with the player to the left of the big blind, and continues clockwise around the table. Players may bet, check, raise or fold in turn. The big blind has the privilege of last action with the benefit of seeing how the other players at the table have bet in each round.

Three community cards (known as "The Flop") are then dealt in the center of the table and another betting round takes place beginning with the player to the left of the dealer button. Then another card is dealt face up (known as "The Turn") followed by a round of betting. The fifth and final card (known as "The River") is dealt face up and a final round of betting takes place. Players remaining in the hand will then show their cards and the winning poker hand will be awarded the pot. Any combination of pocket cards and community cards may be used to make the best five-card poker hand.

Sit Down

Up to 10 players are seated around a table.

Dealer Button

The Dealer Button is a round disc that is passed from player to player (clockwise) just before each set of new cards is dealt. This disc determines the order of betting and blind posting.

Post Blinds

Before any cards are dealt, the two players directly to the left of the dealer button must post "blinds". To post a blind is to place a bet before seeing your cards.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button must post the "small blind," which is half the minimum bet (e.g. $5 for a $10/$20 table). The player to the left of the small blind posts the "big blind," which is the amount of the minimum bet (e.g. $10 for a $10/$20 table).

Pocket Cards

Once the blinds have been posted, two cards are dealt face down to each player, called the "pocket cards". At this stage, each player can see his/her pocket cards only.

The first round of betting then takes place, beginning with the player immediately to the left of the big blind and continuing clockwise around the table.

Betting

Bet amounts are fixed by the table stakes. E.g. on a $3/$6 table, bets are $3 in the first two rounds and $6 in the last two. There can be one bet and three raises in each round, i.e. the bet amount can climb a maximum of 3 times in each round of betting.

The Flop

Next, three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. This is known as “The Flop”. These cards are "community" cards, i.e. they can be used by all the players at the table to make up their poker hand.

After the flop is dealt a second round of betting takes place, beginning again with the player immediately to the left of the dealer button (as with all subsequent rounds of betting).

The Turn

Following the flop, a fourth "community" card is dealt face up in the middle of the table. This card is called the "Turn" card and can also be used by all players. It is followed by a third round of betting.

The River

The fifth and final "community" card is dealt face up in the middle of the table known as “The River”, followed by a final round of betting.

Showdown

Once all betting is complete, players lay down their cards in what’s known as ‘The Showdown’, displaying their hand to the rest of the table. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. Should multiple hands tie, the pot is split with any odd amount going to the player to the left of the dealer.

Start Again

After a hand is completed and the pot has been won, the dealer button is moved one seat clockwise and the next hand begins.