Every day, more and more people from all over the world are trying their luck in what might be the world’s most popular card game, Texas Hold’em. The game is fast paced, the stakes are high, and one lucky hand can change everything. That is why it comes as no surprise that the game has become a favorite in casinos and gaming sites all over the internet. Here, we are going to go over some of the rules and important features of the game, so that you can get out there and try your luck.

In most common games of Texas Hold’em, the hand begins with the player to the left of the dealer placing the “small blind”, which is usually half of the table minimum, and the player to the left of them placing the “big blind”, which in most cases is the table minimum. These are bets that are met by all players, before the cards are dealt.

Once the blinds have been placed, each player will be dealt two “pocket” cards. These are the only two cards they will receive that are only for them. The rest of the hand will be dealt as community cards, for everyone to make use of. Then comes the first round of bets, or the “pre-flop” bet.

For all the players that did not fold during the pre-flop bet, the dealer then lays out the first three community cards, also known as, “the flop.” Then comes another round of betting, followed by the dealer laying out a fourth community card, which is called “the turn,” or “fourth street”. The players are given another chance to place bets or fold, and then the final community card is placed, called “the river”. Then, the remaining players will have a final round of betting.

If, at any time during the game only one player remains, he or she is the winner of the hand and takes the pot. If more than one player is left after the final bet, though, they move on to the “showdown”. In the showdown, all remaining players must make the best hand possible from any mixing of their own pocket cards and the community cards on the table. The player with the best five card hand wins the pot.

Here is a list of possible Poker hands and how they are ranked, from lowest to highest:

1. Any single card, ranked with the Deuce being the lowest scoring, to the Ace, which is the highest scoring.
2. A pair of matching cards, ranked from the Deuce to the Ace.
3. Two pairs of matching cards, with each pair being different, again following rank.
4. A “three of a kind” is made up of any three matching cards in a hand, with the highest ranked match being the best three of a kind.
5. A “Straight” is made up of five cards that run in succession, i.e. “7,8,9,10, and Jack”.
6. A “Flush” is any hand where all five cards have the same suit, like hearts or clubs.
7. A “Full House” is a hand made up of a three of a kind, and a pair.
8. A four of a kind is four matching cards, with the highest ranked four of a kind being the best.
9. A “Straight Flush” is made of five consecutive cards, all from the same suit, i.e. “5,6,7,8,and 9 of Diamonds”.

About The Author

Reviewed By: +Alvaro Santos

My name is Alvaro Santos, I'm part of a team of experienced poker players, who have been playing poker for many years now. I'm sharing my experiences about the different online poker rooms by reviewing and rating them accordingly take many factors into consideration. I'm reviewing these sites to give you my professional and objective perspective about the best poker rooms online.