How To Play Poker For Idiots
Welcome to Poker 101 for dummies – where beginners learn to play poker.
Poker 101 will give you a grounding in the mechanics of the game and get you started with some winning strategies. Read through the following pages to get an understanding of all poker related info plus lots of extra tips and tricks.
If you are unsure of the Rules of Texas Holdem or the Hand Rankings of Poker, make sure you check them out too.
Calculating Poker Odds for Dummies - A FREE, #1 guide to mastering odds. How to quickly count outs to judge the value & chance of winning a hand in 2021. So if you are that beginner who is looking for a dummies guide to poker then we have designed our How to Play Poker for Beginners section just for you to give you that introduction and grounding that you need. In this section you will find an introduction to poker, giving the background to the game, explanation of the different types of poker.
The higher the poker hand rank, the better chances you have of winning as 2 pairs always beat 1 pair, and a flush always beats a straight. If more than one bettor has the same poker hand, there are other ways to find out who wins the round. As you continue to learn how to play poker, all these factors will start to make more and more sense. First the side pot between players B and C is played, then there is turn for the main pot between all the players at the table. If more than one player reached the showdown, players are showing their cards and players hands are compared one to another.
Poker 101: What We Will Cover
- Terminology (below)
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Use the terminology section below as a dictionary – there is no need to read through it now. Refer to back to this page if you come across a word you don't understand.
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Check out the next poker 101 page – Basic Preflop Strategy – to find out more.
Poker 101 – Terminology
We will link back to this page throughout Poker 101 for any words you may not understand. Keep an eye out for the hyperlinks!
6-max: A table with a maximum of 6 players allowed to sit down- see 6max vs fullring. This type of game type is more typical to online play. An example of a 6max table shown below:
Ante: An ante is an other forced bet, typically smaller than the blinds which are used late in tournaments to increase the size of the starting pot.
Backdoor: A draw which requires two cards to complete. For example, AK of hearts on a Th6s2d has two backdoor draws – two consecutive hearts for a flush and consecutive Queen and Jack for a straight.
Bankroll management: Bankroll management is a process which all successful poker players undertake. It involves managing the amount of money available for you to play poker to ensure that you have sufficient funds that you do not go broke. See the post on bankroll management which delves into more detail.
Big Blind: The big blind is the forced bet which the player two seats to the left of the dealer has to put in before seeing his cards. The rules fix the big before the game has started. The BB is the minimum bet size for the poker game. For more information see Position is King.
Board: The community cards which everyone shares i.e., the flop turn and river
Blank: A hand which does not change the board or the strength of many of the types of hands players is likely to hold. For example, on a T96 board, a two would be considered a ‘blank.'
Blocker: When you hold a card which your opponent needs to make a strong hand. For example holding the Ace of hearts on a board with a heart flush possibility.
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Broadway: The cards from Ten through to Ace are called Broadway cards.
Chase: To call a bet with a drawing hand with the correct pot odds.
Chop: To split the pot between two or more players due them all having similar holdings.
Coin flip or flip: When two players end up all in and their hands have roughly the same equity i.e. it is 50:50 for either to win. AK vs. QQ all in preflop is considered a flip despite QQ having slightly more equity.
Combo-draw: A powerful draw with a lot of outs to win. For example a flush draw and a straight draw.
Continuation bet: The act of following up your aggressive action on the next street. For example, raising preflop and then betting on flop. See more on continuation betting here.
Cutoff (CO): The cutoff is the position to the right of the dealer button (acts before the dealer). For more information see Position is King.
Domination: You are said to dominate your opponent when you each share one card of the same rank but your second card is of a higher rank. For example, AK dominates AQ as it will win a large percentage of the time (71%).
Downswing: A period of a bad run of luck where a poker player finds it difficult to win. A part of poker which every player must expect. The opposite of an upswing (or hot streak). See an example of a downswing below (after 7500 games).
Double Barrel: To bet two streets in a row, for example, bet the flop and follow up with another bet on the turn.
Draw: A draw is when you are waiting for particular cards to help improve your hand. For example, if you have four cards to a flush you are said to have a flush draw. Similarly, you can have a straight draw when you have four cards to a straight.
Drawing dead: When a player can no longer win the pot no matter what cards come on the turn and river. AK would be drawing dead vs. 99 on a 962 board as even hitting two Aces or Kings in a row wouldn't make the best hand.
Equity: the percentage chance you or your opponent have of winning the pot. For example, AA has over 80% equity vs. a lower pocket pair such as QQ or TT. See our pot equity tutorial for more details.
Equity realization: Having equity is great but in some cases with difficult to play hands (for example K8o) you will not be able to realize that equity because the hand is difficult to play. See equity realization for more info.
Expected value: expected value is the predicted value of a particular move (such as calling or raising). It is calculated using the value of each outcome multiplied by the probability that each outcome will occur. For more information see Pot Odds, Equity And Expected Value.
Floating: Calling a bet with a speculative hand with the plan to bluff to win the pot on a later street. Typically this strategy is use to exploit weak opponents who will only bluff once before giving up on the pot and folding to a bet. Floating is more successful in position as you have the opportunity to apply more pressure to your opponent plus you will have more information while action in position.
Fold equity: The percentage chance you have of winning the pot due to your opponent folding to a bet or raise. For more information see this detailed article.
Full ring: The classic Texas Hold'em format. A maximum of 9 players may sit as this table type.
Freeroll: A tournament which is free to enter and offers a prize to the winner(s). A freeroll can also be used to describe when two hands of the same rank are all in but one hand has an additional way to win. For example, both players have KQ and are all in on a JsTs5c board. However, one player has a flush draw to complement his straight draw and thus is said to be freerolling – he can only draw or win, not lose.
Gut-shot (inside straight draw): A draw which has four outs to the straight. For example 76 on A53 board – a four will complete a straight.
GTO – GTO or game theory optimal is an unexploitable poker strategy based on mathematics and Nash Equilibrium that has arisen in the last number of years. When playing a GTO strategy you cannot be beaten in the long run, only break even against another GTO strategy. The use of unexploitable strategies have been accelerated by the use of GTO solvers such as PIOSolver. For more on GTO strategies and solvers see PokerNerves article.
Hero: When discussing the hand online, the player whose cards are known is said to be the hero.
Heads Up Poker: Playing poker against one opponent in a 1vs1 situation. For more on heads up poker see heads up poker strategy- adjusting to your opponent.
HUD (Heads up display): A HUD is a display which is used in online poker which provides information on opponents.
Isolate: To raise with the intention of singling out a single player after they have entered the pot. Typically isolation moves are performed vs. weaker players after they have limped into the pot.
Kicker: A kicker is used to break ties between players when they have hands of the same rank. For example, the kicker for the hand AK on an A72 board would be the king. The king kicker means that AK would be a stronger hand than AQ – in this case, AQ hand is out-kicked. See this article for more on kickers.
Limping: Limping is the act of calling a pre-flop bet when the pot is unopened. For example, a player is first to act under the gun (UTG) and calls the big blind. See this article for why limping is a bad strategy.
Middle position (MP): Middle position is the 2nd position to act after the cards are dealt in 6max (after UTG) and the 3rd and 4th position to act in a full ring game (9 players). For more information see Position is King.
Nuts: The nuts is the strongest hand possible. The ultimate nuts is the Royal flush as this can never lose. However, some hands won't always be possible, and therefore the nuts is referred to the strongest possible hand on the current board. For example, the nuts on a KT9 board without a flush possible would be QJ.
Offsuit: Two cards which are not of the same suit. For example AK with Ace of Diamonds and King of spades (often shortened to AKo).
Open-ended straight draw (OESD): A draw which has eight outs to the straight. For example 76 on A54 board – a 3 8 or will complete a straight.
Outs: The number of cards which could potentially improve your hand strength. For example, with QJ on a T92 board, we have eight outs to a straight (4 Kings and 4 Eights) and we have six outs to top pair (3 queens and 3 jacks).
Outdraw: When your opponent had a worse hand than you, but his hand improved to one better than yours on future streets. For example, a flush draw would ‘outdraw' a one pair hand if the turn or river completed the five card flush.
Overcard: this is when you have a card which is greater than the highest card on the flop or turn. For example, AQ has one overcard on a K52 flop and has two overcards on a T52 flop. Overcards are important as they give us an opportunity to make good a hand on later streets.
Overpair: When you have a pocket pair which is larger than the highest ranking card on the board. For example, KK is an overpair on a Q52 flop.
PFR (pre-flop raise): A HUD stat which shows how often a player raises when entering the pot. Typically range from 12-22% for winning players depending on the game type.
Postflop: The later rounds of betting which occur after the flop is dealt. See Texas Holdem strategy for more on playing postflop poker.
Pot Equity: This is the percentage chance that you will win the pot at any given point in the hand. It is how much of the pot ‘belongs' to you. For example with KK pre-flop, you will have approximately 80% chance of winning (equity) vs. QQ. For more information see Pot Odds, Equity And Expected Value.
PLO: PLO or Pot Limit Omaha is a poker game type similar in structure to Texas holdem although you are dealt 4 cards instead of two and are limited in bet size to the pot. Check out PLOQuickPro for pot limit omaha strategy.
Pot Odds: This is the odds that are being offered to you to call when facing a bet or raise. If you are confronted with a half pot bet, you are offered odds of 2:1 (you have to call 1 to win 2). See our poker books page our review of Essential Poker Math by Alton Hardin for all the basics of poker math, including pot odds.
Preflop: The round of betting which occurs straight after the card have been dealt. See Texas Holdem strategy for more on playing preflop poker.
Rainbow: When there is no possibility of a flush draw on the flop or turn due to all cards being different suits.
Rake: Rake is a percentage of the pot that a poker room or casino will take to play for the dealer, services, etc. Rake is how the poker room or casino generates profits from poker games. See this page for how rake works in poker.
Rakeback: This is the refund a poker play may get from a poker room or casino when a certain amount of play has been completed (hours or hands played). Rakeback is similar ‘tax-back' which is returned to good customers of the poker site.
Range: A group of holdings you think your opponent may hold. See poker hand ranges for beginners.
Shorthanded: When the number of players falls below five on a table, it is considered to be a shorthanded table.
Set: A set is three of a kind with a pocket pair in the hole. For example, a set of sixes would be 66 on a KT6 board. Sets are stronger than a standard three of a kind because you cannot be outkicked.
Sit ngo: A tournament which begins when enough players sit down on the table (rather than starting at a specific time of day).
How To Play Poker For Beginners Step By Step
Small blind: The small blind is the forced bet which the player one seat to the left of the dealer has to place before seeing his cards. The value of the small blind is typically half that of the big blind. For more information see Position is King.
Suited: Two cards which are of the same suit. For example AK of hearts (often shortened to AKs)
Tell: Unconsciously giving away a piece of information to your opponent. For example, a shaking hand may mean a good holding.
Trap: To play in a manner which disguises the strength of your hand. For example calling preflop with AA instead of raising. See examples of traps here.
UTG: The first player to act after the cards are dealt. For more information see Position is King.
Villain: Often used to denote out an opponent in an online discussion. For example, the villain makes a big call with a weak hand.
VPIP (Voluntarily put in the pot): A HUD stat which shows how often a player puts money into the pot by raising or calling voluntarily. VPIP is a measure of how many hands a player plays. Typically range from 15-25% for winning players depending on the game type.
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That's it for poker 101 terminology. Check out the next poker 101 page – Basic Preflop Strategy – to find out more.
Like the title suggests, this page is designed to take a
person who knows nothing about Texas holdem and walk them step
by step through the game so they can start playing without
embarrassing themselves. The title should really say Texas
holdem for the ignorant because not knowing about something is
ignorance, not a matter of being dumb. But for dummies is much
more catchy so we went with it.
Just understand that what you don’t know about Texas holdem
doesn’t rank you with the dummies of the population, and after
reading this page you’ll have graduated to a level far above the
dummies stage. If you really study and learn from the details
below you’ll probably advance past the bottom 25% of the poker
population immediately.
Where else can you get a jump on a quarter of the population
by simply reading a page?
One of the best ways to learn how to play a new game is by
watching other players, but if you don’t understand the terms
the players are using and don’t understand the rules it can take
a long time to pick up on the fine points of the game.
It’s somewhat like trying to learn a new language by moving
to a new country without taking any language lessons.
This page starts with the basics by covering the important
terms you’ll hear at the table and then goes over the possible
poker hands and their strengths. Then you’ll learn the exact
step by step way a game of Texas holdem is set up and how a hand
is played, and as a bonus we’ve included a basic strategy
section.
If your goal is to be able to start playing Texas holdem as
quickly as possible without looking like you’re inexperienced or
don’t know what you’re doing this page will prepare you like no
other resource.
Basic Terms
In order to understand a game at the most basic level you
have to learn some of the common terms. Like many games, Texas
holdem players use a specialized language with terms that aren’t
used in normal conversation or terms that mean something
different than you’re used to.
Here’s a list of common terms used at the Texas holdem table.
- Hole Cards
The two cards dealt face down to each
player. Your two card starting hand is your hole cards. - Burn Card
The dealer places a card in the discard
pile, also called the muck, before dealing the flop, turn,
and river. This card is called a burn card. The phrase burn
and turn refers to burning a card and turning over the next
community card. - Community Cards
The community cards are cards placed
face up in the center of the poker table. These cards are
used in combination with your hole cards to make the best
possible five card poker hand. Every player uses the
community cards. The community cards are made up of the
flop, turn, and river. Some players call the community cards
the board. - Flop
The flop is the first set of community cards
dealt after the first betting round. Three cards are dealt
face up. - Turn
The turn is a single community card dealt
following the betting round conducted after the flop. - River
The final community card is called the river and
it is dealt after the betting round following the turn. - Showdown
After all of the community cards are dealt
and all of the betting rounds have been completed all of the
remaining players show their hole cards and the winning
player receives the pot. When the players show their cards
it’s called the showdown. - Fold
When you fold you turn your cards in to the
dealer face down instead of calling the current bet. - Call
If you decide to remain in the hand you must call
any bet that has been made earlier in the round. This
includes the big blind on the first round of betting. - Raise
A raise is when you not only call the current
bet but decide to place a larger bet. This is all done at
one time, unlike what you often see on television. You don’t
say I’ll call and raise. You simply state that you’re
raising and push the amount of chips forward to cover the
call and the raise. If you say I call and raise it’s a
string bet and this isn’t allowed in poker rooms. - Check
When there hasn’t been a bet on the current
round of betting you may check to the next person. You can’t
check on the first round unless you’re in the big blind and
no one has raised. You must call, raise, or fold on the
first round in any position other than the big blind. - All In
In a no limit Texas holdem game you can push
all of your chips into the pot whenever it’s your turn to
place a bet. When you bet all of your chips it’s called all
in. You can say I’m all in. - Limit Holdem
Limit Texas holdem has a strict bet and
raise limit on each round of betting. The first two betting
rounds are the same size as the big blind and the last two
rounds are played at double this amount. If the big blind is
$40, the small blind will be $20, the first two betting
rounds will be $40 per bet and the last two will be
conducted at $80 per bet. This means that when you bet you
have to bet the amount for the current round. When you arise
you can only raise the current limit. On the first betting
round of the example above, you can fold, call the $40 big
blind, or raise to a total of $80, which is your call of $40
and a raise of $40. A limit game with the above limits is
called a $40 / $80 game. - No Limit Holdem
No limit Texas holdem has a small and
big blind like limit holdem but you can raise any amount up
to the size of your stack of chips. The only restriction is
if you raise you have to raise at least an amount equal to
the last bet of the round. If the last bet was $20 you have
to raise at least $20. If no one has made a bet on the
current round you can raise any amount. - Big Blind
The big blind is a forced bet that a player
must make on every hand of Texas holdem. It’s also the name
of the position for the player who’s forced to make the bet.
The big blind is two seats to the left of the player in the
dealer position. After each hand the big blind moves one
seat to the left. In limit Texas holdem the big blind is
equal to the smaller of the two betting limits. In a $20 /
$40 game the big blind is $20. In a no limit game the size
of the big blind is determined by the house. - Small Blind
The small blind is a forced bet that is
made on each hand of Texas holdem. It also refers to the
position of the player making this forced bet. The small
blind is between the player in the dealer or button position
and the big blind. The amount of the small blind is almost
always half the amount of the big blind. If the big blind is
$20 the small blind is $10. Occasionally you may see a table
with a small blind that is a different amount, but it’s
rare. The small blind rotates one seat to the left after
each hand. - Dealer or Button
The dealer or button is the player
who is the last person to act on every round except the
first one. This player usually has a small round disc in
front of them that looks somewhat like a button. In a poker
room the casino personnel who deal the cards is called a
dealer, but when you hear someone refer to the dealer
position or button they mean the player, not the person
dealing the cards. The dealer button is passed to the next
player to the left after each hand. - Under the Gun
Under the gun refers to the position who
is first to act on the first betting round. This player is
seated immediately to the left of the big blind. - Chips
Chips, or poker chips, are the round things,
usually made of clay, you receive in exchange for your cash.
You use the chips to make bets and when you’re done you
exchange the chips back for cash in the cashier cage area. - Stack
Your stack is your collection of poker chips at
the poker table you use to place bets with. - Position
Position is a term used to describe where
you’re seated at a table in relation to the other players.
Your position changes as the dealer button is passed around
the table. Early position is when you have to act first or
second in the hand and late position is when you have to act
in the last two positions of the hand. Middle position is in
between early and late position. - Nuts
The nuts is a term used to describe the absolute
best possible poker hand in the current situation. If the
best possible hand is an ace high flush, if a person holds
an ace high flush he has the nuts. If you have the nuts
after the river you can’t lose the hand unless you fold.
Many players incorrectly use this term when they have a very
strong hand but not the absolute best possible hand. - Rake
In real money Texas holdem games the casino or
poker room makes money by taking a small amount from each
pot. This is called the rake. Both land based and online
poker rooms take rake. - Ring Game
A ring game is a Texas holdem game that has
players join and leave as they run out of chips or decide to
stop playing. You bring chips to the table and leave with
whatever chips you have left or have won. If you run out of
chips you can buy more and keep playing if you wish. If you
walk into a local poker room or log into an online poker
room and join a game in progress it’s a ring game. - Sit and Go Tournament
A sit and go tournament is a
small tournament, usually with nine or 10 players. You pay a
set buy in and the final three players win prize money.
First place usually receives 50% of the prize pool; second
place gets 30%, and third place receives 20%. When you run
out of chips you’re eliminated from the tournament. A few
online poker rooms run two or three table sit and go
tournaments, but traditionally they’re single table events. - Multi Table Tournaments
Multi table tournaments make
up every other tournament. The events at the World Series of
Poker are multi table events and many online poker rooms run
big events. You pay a fee, receive a set number of chips,
and play until you win all of the chips in play or run out
of chips. Usually somewhere around the top 8 to 12% of the
tournament entrants finish in the money. A few tournaments,
called re-buy tournaments, allow players to buy back into
the tournament for a limited time if they lose all of their
chips. Most tournaments don’t offer re-buy opportunities so
if you lose all of your chips you’re eliminated.
Hand Values
Each game of Texas holdem is dealt using a standard playing
card deck of 52 cards. Each deck has four suits made up of 13
cards per suit. The four suits are spades, hearts, clubs, and
diamonds. In Texas holdem each suit is equal in value.
The ranks of card in each suit from lowest to highest are 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, and ace.
The following hand values are ranked from highest value to
lowest. Go down the list until you find the value of your
highest possible hand. Then do the same for your opponent’s
hand. Whoever has the highest hand on the list wins the hand.
- Royal Flush
A royal flush consists of the top five
cards all in the same suit. The ace, king, queen, jack, and
10 of hearts make up one of the four possible royal flush
hands. The same five cards, all in spades, or all in
diamonds, or all in clubs is also a royal flush. - Straight Flush
A straight flush is five cards in
order, all of the same suit. The 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 all of clubs
is a straight flush. - Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is a hand with four
cards of the same rank. A hand that has the 10 of clubs, 10
of hearts, 10 of spades, and 10 of diamonds has a four of a
kind in 10’s. In the case of two players each having four of
a kind, the player with the higher ranked four of a kind
wins the hand. If the board has four of a kind the player
with the highest other card wins the hand. If the board has
four of a kind and a higher fifth card than any remaining
player the pot is split between all remaining players. - Full House
A full house has three cards of the same
rank and two cards of the same rank that don’t match the
first three cards. If you have three aces and two kings, you
have a full house. If you hear a player say they have a full
house with aces full of kings, the three of a kind is stated
first and the pair is stated second. If two or more players
each have a full house the player with the highest ranked
three of a kind wins the hand. If the three of a kind is the
same the player with the highest pair wins the hand. - Flush
A flush is a hand with all five cards of the
same suit. If two or more players have a flush, the one with
the highest ranked card wins the hand. If two or more
players have the same highest ranked card they compare their
next highest ranked card and so on until one player has a
card of higher rank than the other players. - Straight
A straight is five cards in sequential order
but not all of the same suit. For the purposes of a straight
an ace can be used as the card above a king or below a two.
An example of a straight is 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6 with at least
two different suits. If two or more players have a straight
the one with the highest card in their straight is the
winner. - Three of a Kind
Three of a kind is three cards of the
same rank. If you have the 8 of diamonds, 8 of clubs, and 8
of spades you have three of a kind of 8’s. If two players
have the same three of a kind their next highest card
decides the winner. If two players have different three of a
kind hands the one with the highest ranked three of a kind
is the winner. If a player has a pair in their hole cards
and the board makes them a three of a kid hand it’s called a
set. If the board has two matching cards and you match them
with one of your cards it’s called trips. - Two Pair
Two pair is two cards of the same rank and
another two cards of the same rank that aren’t the same rank
as the first pair. If you have a 7 of spades and a 7 of
hearts and an 8 of hearts and an 8 of diamonds you have two
pair. If two or more players have two pair the player with
the highest ranked pair is the winner. - Pair
A pair of cards is two cards of the same rank.
Two aces or two threes both count as a pair. If two or more
players have a pair the player with the highest ranked pair
is the winner. If two players have the same ranked pair the
player with the next highest ranked card wins. - High Card
If no players have a pair or better the
player with the highest ranked card is declared the winner.
If they have the same highest ranked card their next highest
ranked cards are compared. This continues until one player
has a higher ranked card than their opponent. If all five
cards are the same rank the pot is split.
How to Play
Texas holdem games are available in ring games and
tournaments, but the same basic rules govern how to play both
types of games. If you follow the step by step details below
you’ll be able to play in any type of Texas holdem game.
Joining or Starting a Game
If you join a ring game in progress the dealer and blind
positions will be set from the previous hand. Depending on the
house rules you may have to wait for the big blind to come
around to where you’re seated before you can start playing. Some
places let you post a bet equal to the big blind to start
playing right away.
If you’re seated at the beginning of a tournament or when a
ring game starts the dealer shuffles the cards and then deals
one card face up to each player at the table. The player who
receives the highest card is awarded the dealer button for the
first hand.
Dealing & the Blinds
The first player to the left of the dealer button places the
small blind and the next player to the left places the big
blind. Then the person dealing the cards deals two cards to each
player at the table, one at a time starting with the small blind
and going to the left, finishing once the button player has
received her second card.
Initial Betting Round
At this time the first player to the left of the big blind
folds, calls the big blind, or raises. Play continues to the
left with each player either calling the current bet or blind if
no one has raised, folding, or raising. Play continues until
each player has called the last bet or folded. In a limit game
all bets and raises are the amount of the smaller limit on this
round and the next betting round.
If no one raises the small blind can call the half bet,
called completing the bet, and the big blind has the choice to
check if the pot hasn’t been raised, or fold.
The Flop
After all of the betting action has been completed on the
first round of betting the dealer burns the card on top of the
deck and then turns the next three cards face up in the center
of the table. These three cards are the first of the five
community cards and called the flop.
Each player uses their two hole cards in combination with the
five board cards to make their best possible five card hand. You
can use both of your hole cards with three of the community
cards, one of your hole cards with four of the community cards,
or all five of the community cards and neither of your hole
cards.
After the flop the first person to the left of the dealer
button remaining in the hand can check or bet. In a limit game
the bet must be the smaller limit amount. In a no limit game the
bet can be any amount up to and including the amount of chips
the player has in front of them.
Play continues to the left. Each player may check if no bet
has been made, call if a bet has been made, bet if a bet hasn;t
been made, or raise if a bet has been made. Play continues to
the left until each player has checked or each player has called
the most recent bet or folded.
The Turn
The dealer burns the top card and deals the next card face up
with the other community cards. This is called the turn. In
limit Texas holdem all bets on the turn and river are at the
higher limit.
After the turn card is dealt the first player to the left of
the dealer button remaining in the hand either checks or bets.
Play continues to the left like it did on the flop with each
player checking, calling, betting, or raising depending on what
has happened before on this betting round.
The River & Showdown
When all of the betting has been completed on the turn the
dealer burns a final card and places the fifth and final
community card face up. A betting round identical to the one on
the turn is completed. After the river betting round all of the
remaining players turn their cards over and the player with the
best hand wins the pot. If more than one player has the exact
same winning hand the pot is split between the players with the
tied best hand.
After the dealer gives the pot to the winning player the
dealer button is passed one place to the left and the blinds
move one place to the left. Once the two blinds pay their forced
bets the next hand starts.
Basic Strategy
It;s one thing to be able to play Texas holdem, but it;s
another thing to be able to do it without losing all of your
money quickly. If you want to not only play your first Texas
holdem game but want to have a decent chance to break even
here;s a few tips to help you get started.
You should know that winning Texas holdem players have been
playing and studying for years in most cases. While you can
learn a few thing that can help you be competitive quickly, this
represents a small part of strategy. If you want to learn more
or become competitive faster you need to check out our strategy
section.
- Play at the smallest limits available. This keeps your
initial investment as low as possible and will keep you from
losing too much as you make mistakes while you’re learning. - Play at the limit Texas holdem tables at first instead
of the no limit tables. While you can still lose money
quickly, a single mistake usually won’t cost you your entire
stack like it can at the no limit tables. - If you can find tables with other new or inexperienced
players it can give you the best chance to win. - Learn about pot odds and start using them to make
decisions at the table. We have an extensive page on them so
you can quickly learn more. - At the most basic level you need to focus on only
playing with your best starting hands. When you start with a
better hand than your opponents you’ll end up with a better
hand more often than they will. Most players play too many
hands, so focus on playing fewer hands and remain patient. - Don’t bluff. If you watch poker on television you see
many players bluffing. As you’re learning how to play forget
about bluffing. When you have a good hand bet and raise and
when you have a poor hand check and fold. You can worry
about bluffing once you become a better player. - A full house is a monster hand and rarely loses in a
Texas holdem game. Flushes are the next most powerful hand,
followed by three of a kind. When you have one of these
three hands you’ll usually win the pot. Many pots are won
with a high pair or a two pair hand, but both of these hands
are vulnerable to better hands. - You can practice playing online at the free money
tables, but the play is so bad it’s difficult to get better
from a strategy standpoint. You still need to try to play
using the best strategy but until you start playing for real
money it can be hard to see if your decisions are right or
not. - Instead of playing at the free money tables take a seat
at the micro limit tables. Many online sites have limit
Texas holdem tables as low as .05 /.10. Even though you’re
only playing with nickels and dimes the play is much more
realistic at these levels and you can work on improving your
game. - Always focus on playing the best game possible. Even if
you’re playing for free or small stakes treat each game and
hand like it’s for thousands of dollars. If you want to be
the best player possible you need to concentrate every time
you play poker. - The best position at the table is the dealer button. You
get to see how the other players play the hand before you
have to play. The blinds and under the gun are the worst
positions. Play fewer hands from the poor positions and more
hands from the best positions. - Always pay attention while playing Texas holdem. Watch
the other players even when you fold your hand. See if you
can figure out which ones are good and which ones aren’t.
You can often learn things about other players by watching
that you can use to make more money against them in the
future.
How to Get Started
The quickest way to get started is by signing up for an
online poker room. Your options depend a great deal on where you
live. If you live in the United States you’ll only find a few
poker rooms available, unless you live in one of the states with
specific laws allowing online play. If you live in the UK or
many other places around the world you’ll have more options.
Once you find a poker room sign up for a free account and
head over to the cashier area. Make a deposit and claim a bonus
if the poker room is offering a sign up bonus. Most bonuses
aren’t placed in your account right away. You have to play a
certain amount of real money hands before the bonus is released,
usually in small increments of $10 or so.
How To Play Poker Better
To make a deposit you can use a credit card, a bank wire, or
one of the popular online wallet accounts, depending on where
you live. The cashier area will have additional details about
the methods available to players where you live.
If you just want to play for free you don’t have to make a
deposit, but you should still sign up for a place that lets you
play for real money. This way all you have to do is make a
deposit to switch from play money to real money play.
If you want to play at a local casino or poker room walk in
and find the registration desk in the poker area. Tell them
which game you’d like to play, your name, and ask them where to
buy chips. Most poker rooms want you to buy chips at the cage,
but a few let you buy them at the table.
Most rooms have a list of available games, but if they don’t
ask what the lowest Texas holdem limit game is they’re currently
spreading. If they have a seat available they’ll point you in
the right direction and if not they’ll put you on the list and
call for you when a seat opens up.
Once you get seated simply follow the directions of the
dealer. When the big blind comes around to you place your bet in
front of you and get ready to start playing. If the dealer asks
if you want to play or wait for your big blind you can do
whatever you prefer. If you decide to play slide an amount equal
to the big blind out. Some rooms let you start playing right
away without placing a bet on your first hand.
No one knows the house rules the first time they play, and
they vary from room to room. If you play online the software
takes care of everything so all you have to do is click the
button when the software asks about the blinds.
The main thing to keep in mind is that everyone was a
beginning Texas holdem player at one point. If you don’t know
something simply ask. Casino and poker room personnel are there
to help you and most poker players are friendly enough to help
new players. If you run into a grumpy player just ignore them
and ask someone else.
Even the most seasoned pros make mistakes, so don’t worry
about the ones you’re going to make. Simply understanding that
it’s not the end of the world if you do something wrong can make
your experience more enjoyable. You’ll see players with years of
experience play out of turn, forget to do something like place
the blinds, or get lost in thought. Just correct your mistake
and move onto the next hand.
Summary
Many new players are afraid they’ll do something that makes
them look stupid or foolish at the table. They try to hide the
fact that they’re new to the game from the other players.
While you can do whatever you feel is best, have you
considered just telling the other players that you’re new to the
game? Almost universally, poker players are happy to have new
players at their table. New players usually make mistakes, which
are good for the other players, so most players go out of their
way to make newbies feel welcome.
If you have questions about something ask the dealer. She’s
there to run the game smoothly, and part of that job is helping
the players.
Another option for your first time playing is going to a
local poker room with someone you know who is an experienced
player. Your friend can help you get signed up for a table, buy
chips, and get started.
Of course if you want to play online you’ll be operating
behind a screen name so no one will know who you are, but you
can start playing at the free money tables so even if you make
mistakes it won’t cost you more than your time.