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Texas Hold'em rules: the full list, in plain English
Updated November 2026
In Texas Hold'em each player gets two private cards and shares five community cards. There are up to four rounds of betting, and the best five-card hand from any seven cards wins the pot, unless everyone else folds first.
The rules below are the ones used in nearly every cardroom. Home games and individual casinos can differ, so when something is unusual, ask before the hand starts.
Order of a hand
- Post the blinds
- Two cards each, then bet
- Flop, three cards, then bet
- Turn, one card, then bet
- River, one card, then bet
- Showdown
Betting in no-limit
At the showdown
Who sits where?
A table has two to ten players. One seat has the dealer button, which moves one place to the left after every hand.
The player directly left of the button posts the small blind. The next player posts the big blind, which is usually twice as much. These are forced bets, paid before anyone has seen a card.
Six players
What changes when there are only two players?
What are the betting rounds?
There are four, and a round ends when everyone still in has put in the same amount or checked.
- Before the flopStarts left of the big blind. The big blind goes last and can raise even if everyone just called.
- The flopThree cards. Starts with the first player still in on the left of the button.
- The turnOne card. Same order as the flop.
- The riverThe last card and the last betting. Then the showdown.
How are the cards dealt?
Clockwise, starting with the small blind, one card at a time until everyone has two. Before each set of shared cards, the dealer puts the top card aside face down. That's called burning a card.
What comes off the deck
How big does a bet or raise have to be?
In no-limit the smallest bet is the size of the big blind. A raise has to add at least as much as the last bet or raise on that round.
So if the big blind is $2 and someone bets $10, the next raise must add at least $10, which makes it $20. If someone then raises to $35 (adding $15), the next raise must add at least $15, so it has to reach $50.
Each raise sets the next one
Can you bet more than you have on the table?
No. That rule is called table stakes. You can only bet the chips in front of you when the hand starts, so you can't reach into your wallet in the middle of a hand, and nobody can force you out by betting more than you have.
You have $40, he bets $100
What happens when someone goes all-in?
A player who is all-in stays in the hand without having to put in any more. If two or more other players keep betting, the extra goes into a side pot that the all-in player can't win.
There's one rule that surprises people. An all-in that's smaller than a full raise doesn't reopen the betting for anyone who has already acted.
Say you bet $100 and the next player goes all-in for $120. That's only $20 more, less than a full raise. When it gets back to you, you can call the extra $20, but you can't raise.
Short all-in
Who has to show their cards first?
If there was a bet on the river, the last player to bet or raise shows first. If everyone checked the river, the first player still in on the left of the button shows first.
- Cards speakThe dealer reads the hands. What a player says they have doesn't count, only what's on the table.
- You can muckIf your hand loses, you can throw it away face down without showing it.
- Show to claim itTo win a pot at the showdown you have to show your cards, even if you're playing the board.
What happens when hands tie?
Only the five best cards count. If two players have the same five ranks, they split the pot evenly. Suits never break a tie.
If a pot can't be divided evenly, the odd chip goes to the first player left of the button.
Everyone plays the board
A royal flush on the table. Anyone still in splits it.
What are the rules at the table?
- Act in turnWait for the player before you. Acting early can bind you to the action, or be penalized.
- Say it firstA verbal declaration in turn is binding. "Raise" means you have to raise.
- No string betsPut your chips in with one motion, or say your amount first. You can't add more after you've let go.
- One chip is a callA single oversized chip counts as a call unless you say "raise" before it lands.
- Keep your cards on the tableLift the corners to look. If they leave the table, the hand can be ruled dead.
- No talking about a live handDon't discuss your cards or anyone else's while the hand is being played.
What happens if someone acts out of turn?
The action goes back to the player who should have acted. If that player's decision doesn't change anything, for example a check, the out-of-turn action usually stands. If the situation changes, the player who acted early can usually take the action back.
Cardrooms can also penalize it if it keeps happening.
Out of turn
What happens to the button when a player leaves?
In tournaments, the button keeps moving even when a seat goes empty, so a player can't skip paying the blinds. That's the dead button rule. Cash games differ from room to room, so ask the dealer.
Can you add chips between hands?
In a cash game, yes, up to the table's maximum, as long as it's between hands. In a tournament, only during a rebuy period. Nobody can add chips during a hand.
What counts as a misdeal?
The usual causes are a card exposed by the dealer during the deal, a player getting the wrong number of cards, or cards going to the wrong seat. The hand is stopped and dealt again. Exact rules differ by room, and once betting has started a misdeal usually can't be called.
What's the difference between no-limit, pot-limit and limit?
- Most commonNo-limitYou can bet any amount up to everything you have.
- Used in OmahaPot-limitYour bet can't be bigger than the pot.
- Rarer nowLimitBets and raises are fixed amounts, usually with a cap of four per round.
How do cash games and tournaments differ?
- Cash gameChips are money. Blinds stay the same, you can top up between hands, and you can leave whenever you like.
- TournamentEveryone starts with the same chips. Blinds go up on a schedule, you're out when you lose them, and prizes go to the top finishers.
Can you make the ruling?
Twelve spots in three rounds: minimum raises, whose turn it is, and what happens at the showdown.
Questions players ask about the rules
Can the big blind raise if everyone calls?
Yes. The big blind gets the last action before the flop and can check or raise.
Do you have to show your cards if you win?
Only if there's a showdown. If everyone else folds, you can keep your cards hidden.
Can you use only the board?
Yes. If the five shared cards are your best hand, you play the board, and you'd split with anyone who does the same.
What does a straddle mean?
An optional extra blind posted before the deal, usually twice the big blind. It's a house option, and not every room allows it.
Can you raise yourself?
Only if someone raises after you. You can't raise your own bet if the action hasn't been reopened.
How many players can be at a table?
Two to ten. Most online games use six or nine seats.
Where these rules come from
The betting and showdown rules follow the rules published by the Poker Tournament Directors Association, which most cardrooms use as a base. Cash games and home games can vary, so the house rule always wins at the table you're sitting at.
Is there always one player who argues about the rules?
Send them this page, or save the one-page version.