This article presents the fundamental principles of No Limit Texas Hold'em poker, the most played variant.
For a poker game with friends, you will need:
Poker is played hand by hand, with each player receiving new cards with each hand.
The primary goal is to win chips or money by forming the best hand or by bluffing to make your opponents fold. At the end of a hand, the player with the best hand or the one who manages to make everyone else fold wins the pot.
A hand of Texas Hold'em unfolds in several steps:
Before the cards are dealt, two players place mandatory bets, called “blinds”. The player to the left of the dealer places the Small Blind, and the next player places the Big Blind. These bets ensure that there is money in the pot for every hand. The big blind is typically twice the small blind.
The blinds can remain the same throughout the game or gradually increase.
The dealer gives each player two hole cards that belong to them alone. These cards are dealt face down, and only the player who receives them can see them.
The first betting round begins. The player to the left of the big blind starts by betting, either by matching the big blind (call), raising, or folding (the details of these different actions are explained later in this article). The betting round continues around the table, with each player having the same options, until all remaining players have bet the same amount. At that point, the betting round ends.
The dealer reveals three community cards in the center of the table, visible to all players. A second betting round begins with the player immediately to the left of the dealer.
Once the previous betting round is complete, a fourth community card is revealed, followed by another betting round.
Finally, the fifth and last community card is revealed. The final betting round begins.
Once the last betting round is finished, the remaining players reveal their cards, and the best hand wins the pot. If all but one player folds, the last remaining player wins the pot without showing their cards. Not all hands reach the showdown: if everyone folds preflop, on the flop, or on the turn, the hand ends and the last remaining player wins the pot.
With each new hand, the dealer (button) changes. The new dealer is the player to the left of the previous one.
In poker, there are five main actions that players can use during a betting round:
Checking means not betting any money while staying in the hand. This option is only available if no player before you has bet during that round. By checking, you pass the action to the next player without adding chips to the pot. If everyone checks, the betting round ends, and the game moves on to the next phase.
Betting means being the first player to put money into the pot during a betting round. This forces the other players to respond by either calling (matching the bet), raising, or folding. Betting is often used to apply pressure or to maximize profits when holding a strong hand.
Call means matching the bet made by a player before you. You place an amount equal to the highest bet into the pot to stay in the hand and continue playing. Calling allows you to remain in the game.
Raising means increasing the previous bet. When a player raises, they bet an amount higher than the previous players, forcing their opponents to match this new bet if they want to continue. Raising can be a strategy to strengthen a strong hand or to bluff and push other players to fold.
Folding means giving up your hand when you believe it is not strong enough to compete with other players or the bet is too high. When you fold, you no longer participate in the current hand and forfeit any chance to win the pot. However, you can rejoin the game in the next hand, with new cards.
A winning combination in poker is a 5-card hand that outperforms the other players' hands based on the hierarchy of combinations.
Here is the summary table of different poker combinations, from the strongest, the Royal Flush, to the weakest, the High Card.
In poker, the duration of a game is primarily determined by the gradual increase in blinds. When the blinds grow large compared to player stacks, players are often forced to play marginal hands or go all-in to survive. This significantly increases the chances of players being eliminated, speeding up the end of the game.
With high and fast-increasing blinds, a poker game can last only a few minutes. In tournaments with slower-increasing blinds, the game can stretch over several days.
If you want to learn more about how to determine blind level increases, you can read our article on chip values and blind levels.
The pot is split when two players have the exact same hand. If multiple players are tied, the pot is divided equally.
A side Pot is created when one player is all-in and cannot cover additional bets. The other remaining players continue betting into a secondary pot. In the end, the all-in player can only win the main pot, while the side pot is reserved for other players who continued betting.
A misdeal occurs when an error is made in dealing the cards. This could happen if a private card is dealt face-up or if a player receives too many cards. If a misdeal is called, the hand is canceled, all bets are returned, and a new deal is made to restart the hand under fair conditions.
In some poker formats, antes are paid by players at the beginning of each hand, in addition to blinds. Generally, the size of the antes is smaller than the blinds and represents about 5% to 10% of the big blind.
In No Limit Texas Hold'em, the minimum bet is always equal to the size of the big blind.
A string Bet occurs when a player makes a bet in multiple motions without announcing the total amount in advance, potentially allowing them to gauge other players' reactions. This practice is prohibited because it could unfairly benefit the player. To avoid making a string bet, either clearly announce the bet before placing chips or place all chips in in one action.
In some tournaments, a rebuy or add-on is allowed.
A rebuy lets a player buy more chips if they are eliminated, allowing them to stay in the game.
An add-on is similar, but it occurs at a specific point in the tournament, usually during a break. This allows players to increase their chip stack even if they haven’t lost all their chips.
If a player accidentally reveals their cards, they are still in play, but the information is now public, potentially putting the player at a disadvantage.
If a player takes too long to make a decision, another player or the dealer can call for a time limit. If the player doesn't act within that time, their hand is automatically declared dead.
If a player bets 100 chips, the next minimum raise must be at least 100 chips more, bringing the total raise to 200 chips. If another raise is made, it must also be at least equal to the last increase.
