How to Play Texas Hold ’em

Get to grips with this exciting and unique poker variant

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into this popular version of poker. You’ll learn how to get started, how to play your hand and what you need to win.

If you find this Texas Hold ’em guide handy, you can also learn how to play poker and read about other poker variations with the William Hill Poker guide. Once you’re clued up, you’ll be all set to try your hand at a game of online poker.

Introduction to Texas Hold ’em

Texas Hold ’em Poker is a simple poker variant with just a few basic rules.

All players are initially dealt two private cards (hole cards) that no one else is allowed to see.

Then the dealer spreads out five more communal cards face upwards – first three in one go, then another one, then one more. All players in the game can then make use of seven cards (2 hole cards + 3 + 1 + 1) to create their optimal five-card hand.

Betting occurs before and after the communal cards are revealed, and the best poker hand ranking is the one that scoops the pot. Texas Hold ’em games can feature four kinds of betting:

1. Hold ’em ‘limit’: which applies a cap to every betting round.
2. Hold ’em ‘no limit’: in which players are free to bet any amount
3. Hold ’em ‘pot limit’: where the bet limit is the total of the pot
4. Hold ’em ‘mixed’: which alternates limit and no-limit rounds.

Texas Hold’ em rules

Texas Hold ’em Terminology and basic knowledge

Let’s get started with some basic poker terminology to get you up to speed. You’ll hear all these terms and phrases when playing Texas Hold ‘em.

The game is played in rounds. During each betting round, players around the table will have three options:

Call

When you ‘call’ it signals that you neither want to raise nor fold and will continue to participate in the game by matching the betting amount of the big blind – more on the blinds in a second.

Raise

When you ‘raise’ you are simply increasing the betting amount which will need to be matched by any players who wish to stay involved.

Fold

Finally, if you ‘fold,’ it signals that you no longer wish to carry on betting and you forfeit your hand and all the money you already bet during the current game.

The Blinds

In any game of Texas Hold ’em, you’ll spot the ‘the dealer button’, a marker indicating which player is the nominated dealer for the current game. Before starting any game, the player immediately to the left of the button posts the initial forced bet (the small blind). Then the player next left again posts the ‘big blind’. This is usually twice the amount of the small blind but can sometimes vary.

The blinds move around the table after each individual game has concluded, helping to keep the game moving quickly and ensuring players don’t just sit on their bankroll and fold every hand for free.

Pre-Flop

After viewing their private hole cards, players can call or raise the big blind. The action moves clockwise from the big blind, and each player may fold, call or raise. There is betting at every round, which continues until all players (except those who have chosen to fold) have put the same bets in the pot.

The Flop

At this point the dealer places three cards on the table, face upwards – an action called the ‘flop’. These communal cards are available to every player remaining in the game with a live hand. Flop betting starts with the player immediately left of the button. Betting options are much like the pre-flop, but when no one has previously bet, a player can decide to check and pass the action clockwise to the next player.

The Turn

When the flop round betting is finished, the ‘turn’ card is placed on the table, face upwards. The appearance of this fourth communal card triggers another round of betting. Once again this starts with the player immediately left of the button.

The River

When the turn round betting is finished, the ‘river’ card is placed on the table, face upwards. This is the fifth and last of the communal cards in Texas Hold ’em games. A final round of betting follows, again starting with the player immediately left of the button.

The Showdown

Where more than one player remains in the game after the final betting round, the last player to bet or raise shows their cards first. However, if there were no bets in the final round, the person to the immediate left of the button will be the first to show. The winner is the player with the best poker hand ranking. Where players present identical hands, the pot is split equally between those with the best poker hands.

What is the difference between Poker and Texas Hold ’em Poker?

The most obvious difference between classic poker and Texas Hold ’em poker is that it is a community card game. A community card game is a game that uses community cards or shared cards which are cards that are placed face up in the middle of the table.

These central cards are shared by all the players at the table, meaning you can make a hand with any cards you can see. A classic straight poker game includes a complete hand dealt to all players and betting occurs in only one round.

Another key difference is the number of cards that you make use of, which is seven in Hold ’em vs most commonly five in classic poker.

The chances of winning are also much larger in Texas Hold ’em poker as there is a “no limit” option for betting.

Playing strategies can be very different too, with different rankings for winning hands requiring a little extra thought and knowledge of the variant.

Texas Hold ’em playing order

1. Move dealer token and blinds
2. Deal hole cards
3. Start pre-flop betting round
4. Deal 3 x flop cards
5. Star flop betting round
6. Deal the turn card
7. Start turn betting round
8. Deal the river card
9. All final bets and folds
10. Move to showdown
11. Finish and start the next game round

Texas Hold ’em starting hands

To play Texas Hold ’em poker, you need to understand which are the best starting hands, as well as their ranking order.

The best Hold ’em hands are similar to straight poker, with picture cards more valuable than numbers cards, and the usual combinations ranking higher than lower-quality starting hands.

Here are all the starting pairs you need to know:

Pocket Aces

The classic poker starting hand, pocket aces represent a strong pre-flop contender to beat any other two cards and give you a 4 to 1 chance against virtually any other hand. Expect to receive these ‘pocket rockets’ only once every 221 hands, but note that when more players stay in the game, your winning odds reduce – so the best outcomes will always be against fewer opponents.

Pocket Kings

Pocket kings will triumph over any hand – other than aces. Very few flops will cause you concern. However, bear in mind that kings will only better a hand containing one ace around two in every three occasions. With pocket kings, you can usually rely on getting your money at the pre-flop phase.

Pocket queens

Remember that when you receive pocket queens, there are only eight stronger cards still in the deck. That total could be less if you’re up against a player holding an ace, a king, or perhaps ace-king. Push this hand hard before the flop, raising and/or re-raising most of the time. You’ll find plenty of opponents ready to commit with far weaker Texas Hold ’em hands.

Ace-King Suited

While ace-king suited is not a hand to fall in love with, neither is it a weak combination because you still have a good chance against many pocket pairs. It’s just that when you fail to connect with the flop, all you really hold is an ace-high.

Pocket Jacks

This Texas Hold ’em hand gives you a 50:50 chance against any unpaired hand, and comes out a decent pre-flop favourite to outdo any lower pocket pair. It should be considered a very promising hand, but just be wary when an opponent makes an early-position raise.

Pocket tens

Another strong starting hand, pocket tens mean you won’t have to hit that third ten on the flop to survive. Half the time, pocket tens can still outdo overcards, but are not as secure as a pocket jack combination. Where you see a lot of action before you’re in, it’s sometimes best to fold your tens before the flop.

Ace-Queen Suited

This hand won’t beat an offsuit ace-king, yet it gains a superior ranking because it is quite strong against other starting poker hands. And remember, if you completely miss the flop, an ace-queen combination should still keep you clear of trouble.

Ace-King offsuit

A weaker poker hand ranking than its suited option, an ace-king offsuit has less chance of hitting a flush. However, this combination is still a 4-in-10 winner against other poker hands – except kings and aces.

Ace-Jack suited

A suited ace-jack has the potential to deliver a royal flush. But take care if an opponent has raised early. And don’t forget that an ace-king or ace-queen combination will still beat your ace-jack.

King-Queen suited

A king-queen suited poker hand can give you plenty of flushes and straights. Hitting just one pair could leave you with a strong hand. And if you sense there are stronger Texas Hold ’em hands around, you should also be able to handle folding this combination quite easily.

Texas Hold ’em winning poker hands

Winning hands can be made at any point after the flop – but knowing a winning hand is half the battle. So, to make things a little easier, we’ve put together this handy list.

Tips to play Texas Hold ’em Poker

Practice games

The best thing you can do if you’re brand new to poker or Texas Hold ’em is to hop straight in a practice game. This allows you to play without having to wager a real bankroll, meaning you can get a feel for how the game works without losing a penny.

Know your stuff

Thorough research and practice will certainly help, plus you’ll be able to tell straight away if this poker variant is right for you. By learning the rules and outcomes thoroughly, you’ll get to know the odds of winning based on your starting hand and the cards to look out for amongst the community cards.

Bluffing

Using bluffing effectively can be the key to being a good poker player, no matter the variant you are playing. You can bluff to make people think you have a better hand than you have, or to play down your hand with passive actions such as checking when you hold a strong hand.

If you aren’t great at bluffing, then playing Texas Hold ’em online is a great option – you can’t see your opponent, and they can’t see you! However, you can still tap into the chat function, to big up your game and have some fun.

Have fun

Playing poker shouldn’t feel like something you need to do or a way of making money. Texas Hold ’em, and other poker games, are a way to relax and have fun, with the opportunity to win some money along the way! If you find your gaming is no longer fun, or you’re chasing your losses, stop playing or try something else. If you struggle to stop playing, then reach out to begambleaware.org for more information. Or, check out our full range of safer gambling tools.

Play Texas Hold ’em Poker online with William Hill

It’s easy to register for a William Hill account to play online poker. Just click the ‘Join’ button, enter your information on our registration page, then click to confirm. Add your deposit, and you’re ready to play your first hand.

There are lots of different options and games to join, with cool table themes and of course different table limits to suit your budget. So, let’s play some Hold ’em!