Online Poker Guide - OLBG Poker  
Sports
Poker
Casino

Texas Holdem Poker Rules

Learn Poker with our Texas Holdem poker rules guide.

Texas Holdem is a popular form of Poker played with 2 to 10 players, typically using a standard 52 card deck. Players receive 2 cards face down, known as their hole cards or starting hand, followed by 5 community cards dealt face up.

The hole cards dealt to you are personal to your own hand, only you can use them, whereas, the community cards can be used by all.

Players use any combination of hole cards and/or community cards to make their best possible Poker Hands, comprising of 5 cards total. The idea is to produce a hand as high up the Poker Hand Rankings as you can. There are 4 betting rounds.

Texas Holdem - The Positions

The game of Texas Holdem is divided into 4 sections: pre flop, the flop, the turn and the river.

Here is a typical 10 seater table:



3 positions to note are the dealer, the small blind and the big blind. These 3 positions are moved clockwise after every hand so that each player at the table takes a turn of being the dealer, small blind and big blind.

A small round disc called the dealer button is used to indicate which player is the dealer, the small blind sits directly to the left of the dealer and directly to the right of the big blind.
The small and big blinds are both forced to make fixed pre flop bets; the big blind equates to one minimum bet and the small blind is half the minimum bet; if the blind level was 50/100, the minimum bet would be 100 chips. This is done to ensure there is a financial incentive to play in any hand and thus promotes action.

Pre Flop

Each player is dealt 2 hole cards clockwise and one at a time, starting with the small blind and finishing with the dealer. Once every player has received their 2 hole cards, a round of betting ensues, starting with the player directly to the left of the big blind and moving clockwise.

The Flop

The first 3 community cards are dealt, this is called the flop. Another round of betting occurs, this time starting with the first remaining player to the left of the button. All subsequent betting rounds within the hand start with the first remaining player to the left of the button and action moves around clockwise.

The Turn

The 4th community card is revealed on the turn, as promised another round of betting using the same format as the flop occurs.

The River

The final community card is dealt on the river, there is one last round of betting before all remaining players must show their Poker Hands in a showdown, starting with the person who bet first on this round. In Texas Holdem the person with the best 5 card hand wins and takes the pot.

Try out what you have learnt in our Texas Holdem poker rules using Free Play Poker.

Sky Poker allow you to play poker for free. Once you have learnt how to play you can join in one of their televised games and see yourself live on TV! Play Texas Holdem for free.
Poker Room Reviews
Mansion Poker Review
Ladbrokes Poker Review
Paddy Power Poker Review
Sky Poker Review
Circus Poker Review
888 Pacific Poker Review
Betfred Poker Review
Bet 365 Poker Review
 
Poker Bonuses

Mansion Poker
100% first time deposit bonus of up to $500.

Ladbrokes Poker
100% Up to $500 Welcome Bonus

Paddy Power Poker
150% Deposit Bonus up to $600

Sky Poker
All new registrations will receive 500 Poker Points. Use these to enter special freerolls.

Circus Poker
200% bonus on your first deposit from £5 to £300!

888 Pacific Poker
100% Bonus on your first deposit up to £200. Unlike some sites you get 25% of it straight away!
 
Poker Chat
Ghost Players
Poker Hand Analysis - Loose Aggresive Player (Hand 1)
randomness of online poker sites
Best/Worst poker site
Sky Poker Freeroll for OLBG Members £500!
Poker Players Fantasy Football Comp
Battle Of The Sites - OLBG Private Tournament
olbg gets better!!!
how do i register to the poker tournament?
LADBROKES UPGRADE
 
Poker Nights
Come and join us in a friendly low stakes game of Poker every Monday and Thursday nights. At just $5.50 buy-in its more about the pride than the money. Find out more here

 
Poker Examples
Work through a real example to get a basic understanding of how to play poker

Poker Tutorial Example
Poker Tutorial Analysis
 
Poker Rules
Click on a poker game below to learn the rules.

Each article also has a step by step guide which shows you how to play the game.

Texas Holdem Poker Rules
Omaha Poker Rules
Five Card Draw Poker Rules
Rules for 7 Card Stud Poker
 
Learn To Play Poker
All your questions answered here!

Read each of these guides to learn the basics of poker.

Learn Poker Before You Play
Free Play Poker
Poker Betting Options
Poker Etiquette
Poker Hand Rankings
Poker Room Rake
Poker Terminology
Poker Hands Slang
Poker Starting Hands Selection
Pro Poker Players
History of Poker Online
 
Poker Variations
History, explantions and top tips for each of the major forms of poker.

Different Types of Poker Games
Texas Holdem
Omaha Poker
Five Card Draw
7 Card Stud
 
Online Poker Tournaments
Guides to the different types of online poker tournaments.

Detailed explanations of how each poker format is played.

Online Poker Tournaments Explained
Poker Sit and Go
Ring Games
Satellite Tournaments
Multi Table Tournaments
 
Poker Tips
Great tips for improving your poker.

Click on a guide and give yourself a better chance of winning at Poker.

Styles of Poker Play
Bankroll Management and Poker
How to Choose An Online Poker Room
Poker Room Player Stats
How To Read The Poker Game
Player Note Taking In Poker
Poker Table Position
Poker Table Selection
Keeping Poker Records
Poker Money Management
Poker Software and Tools
Preaction Checkboxes in Poker
Poker Angles
Poker Books
 
Poker Strategy
Advanced guides for players wanting to improve their poker strategy.

Multi Table Tournament Strategy
Sit and Go Strategy
Heads Up Poker Strategy
Shortstack Play
Deepstack Play
Bluffing in Poker
Changing Gears Poker Strategy
Special Poker Moves
Short Handed Play - 3 to 4 Players
Playing Short Handed - 5 to 6 Players
10 Handed Play
Poker Cash Game Strategy
Playing Multiple Games of Poker
Final Table Deal Making
 
Poker Odds
The mathematics of poker is commonly known as poker odds.

Learn more about the odds and improve your game.

Poker Odds
Poker Probabilities
Pot Odds
Effective Odds
Implied Odds
Reverse Implied Odds
Poker Blinds
Poker Equity and The Pot
Poker and Expectation
Poker Bankroll Variance
Using Percentage Play in Poker
Randomising Your Poker Play
Pre Flop Hand Percentages
Magriels M and Harringtons Q
 
Poker Psychology
Keep losing those head to heads?

Not sure when to bluff?

Get your head round some of this and your oponents wont know what you are thinking!

Poker Table Image
Online Poker Tells
Luck In Poker
Multiple Level Thinking
The Gap Concept
Poker Temperament and How To Mange It
Manipulating Your Poker Opponents
Bad Beats
Poker Myths Explained
Fundamental Theorem of Poker
Responsible Poker Playing

 
Poker Terms
A glossary of poker terms. Have we missed any?

Glossary A to B
Glossary C to D
Glossary E to F
Glossary G to H
Glossary K to L
Glossary I to J
Glossary M to N
Glossary O to P
Glossary Q to R
Glossary S to T
Glossary U to V
Glossary U to Z