Hold’em
Hold'em, usually called Texas Hold'em, is the most popular form of poker. Each player gets two private cards, and five community cards are dealt face up in the middle.
The simple explanation
You make the best five-card hand from your two hole cards and the five community cards. There are four betting rounds: before the flop, on the flop, on the turn and on the river.
A closer look
Hold'em is played in many formats: cash games, tournaments, limit, pot-limit and no-limit. Luck matters in the short term, but there is a lot of skill: position, hand selection, betting and reading opponents. The button moves clockwise after each hand, and the two players to its left post the small and big blinds.
A practical example
A player is dealt A♥ K♦. The flop is K♠ 7♣ 2♦, and he has a pair of kings with an ace kicker.
Full explanation
Hold’em, usually called Texas Hold’em, is the most popular form of poker. Each player gets two private cards, and five community cards are dealt face up in the middle.
Hold’em gives each player two private cards.
Five community cards are shared.
There are four betting rounds.
It is played in limit, pot-limit and no-limit formats.
Alternative spelling: Holdem, Hold ’em, Texas Hold’em, Texas Holdem
Preflop
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Before the flop, Player A raises to 6. The betting round before any community cards is called preflop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.