Learn the fundamentals: blinds, dealing order, betting rounds, and hand rankings.
Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker worldwide. Each player receives two private cards (hole cards) and shares five community cards to make the best five-card hand.
Before cards are dealt, the two players left of the dealer post forced bets:
| Position | Amount |
|---|---|
| Small Blind (SB) | Half the minimum bet |
| Big Blind (BB) | Full minimum bet |
Each player gets two hole cards, visible only to themselves.
| Round | Name | Cards Dealt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-flop | After hole cards |
| 2 | Flop | 3 community cards face-up |
| 3 | Turn | 1 additional community card |
| 4 | River | 1 final community card |
Remaining players reveal hole cards. Best 5-card hand wins the pot.
| # | Hand | Example | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A-K-Q-J-10 same suit | 👑 |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 5 sequential same suit | 🔥 |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Four cards same rank | 4️⃣ |
| 4 | Full House | Three of a kind + pair | 🏠 |
| 5 | Flush | Five same suit | 🌈 |
| 6 | Straight | Five sequential ranks | 📏 |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Three same rank | 3️⃣ |
| 8 | Two Pair | Two separate pairs | ✌️ |
| 9 | One Pair | One pair | 1️⃣ |
| 10 | High Card | Highest single card | 🃏 |
| Action | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Check | Stay in without betting | No bet ahead of you |
| Bet 💰 | First to put chips in | You want to build the pot |
| Call 📞 | Match current bet | You have a playable hand |
| Raise 📈 | Increase the bet | You have a strong hand |
| Fold 🚫 | Give up your hand | Your hand is too weak |
| All-in 🚀 | Bet all your chips | Maximum pressure or desperation |
🟢 Play tight — only premium starting hands at first
🟢 Position matters — later position = more information = better decisions
🟢 Read the board — always know what the nuts (best possible hand) is
🟢 Avoid tilt — emotional play destroys bankrolls faster than bad cards
🟢 Review your hands — use AI analysis to learn from every session
