Simple Texas Hold'em: Rules & Hands Explained – No Bakwaa!

Wanna learn how to play Texas Hold’em? It’s way easier than you think.
Fast-paced, full of logic, bluffing, and drama!

Each player gets 2 hole cards, and 5 community cards are revealed on the table in stages. Your job is to build the best 5-card hand out of those 7 and snatch the whole pot.

This guide cuts out the bakwaas and gets straight to the action. Scroll down, learn the rules, and get ready to flex your poker face at the table!

What Is Texas Hold'em & Why So Popular?

Texas Hold’em = Build the best 5-card hand take the pot. With 2 cards in hand, 5 on the table.

With Simple rules. Endless plays.

That’s why it’s the world’s most-played poker game — from apps to adda nights.

Texas Hold’em 101: Basic Rules Made Simple

In Texas Hold’em, every player starts with 2 hole cards.

Then the table reveals 5 community cards in stages. In these 7 cards (hole cards & community cards), your job is to make the strongest 5-card combo from those 7 cards, or bluff so hard that everyone else folds.

There are 4 rounds of betting, and you can win either by having the best hand or making everyone else fold.

Now let’s break it down step-by-step👇

Step 1｜Blinds

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Before the game starts, the two players to the left of the dealer must place forced bets: one posts the small blind, and the next posts the big blind. This ensures there’s money in the pot to play for.

Step 2｜Hole Cards

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Each player is dealt two private cards face down—only you can see your own hand.

Step 3｜Pre-Flop

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After seeing your hole cards, action begins with the first player to the left of the big blind. Players take turns choosing to: Check, Call, Raise, or Fold.
This is the first round of betting.

Step 4｜Flop

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The dealer places 3 community cards face up on the table. All players can use these cards to build their best hand. This kicks off the second round of betting.

Step 5｜Turn

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A fourth community card, called the Turn, is dealt. Now there are four shared cards on the table. This begins the third round of betting.

Step 6｜River

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The fifth and final community card is dealt—called the River. Now all shared cards are on the table. It’s time for the last betting round.

Step 7｜Showdown

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If more than one player remains after the final bet, it’s time for the showdown.
Everyone reveals their hole cards and forms the best 5-card hand using their two hole cards plus the five on the table. The strongest hand wins the pot!

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The Must-Know Lingo for Poker Rookies

New to poker? Don’t stress, boss. We’ve got the basics covered—these are the terms that’ll save you from saying ‘what’s a flop?’ in front of your adda.

• Hole Cards
  Your two private cards dealt face-down, called Hole Cards. Only you can see them.
• Flop / Turn / River
  The five community cards revealed in stages: Flop = first 3 cards; Turn = 4th card; River = final card.
  
  These are what you combine with your hole cards to make the best hand.
• Pot
  The total amount of chips everyone’s bet in the round. Winner takes it all.
• All-in
  When you shove in every single chip you’ve got, called All-in. It’s do or die, and one of the most dramatic moves in Texas Hold’em.
• UTG
  UTG is the first player to act at Pre-flop, sitting right after the big blind. You better play strong hands here.
• Check / Call / Raise / Fold
  • Check - No one’s bet yet? Just pass it to the next player without betting.
  • Call – Match the current bet to stay in the hand
  • Raise – Increase the bet and turn the pressure up.
  • Fold – Toss your cards, bow out of the hand.

Can't wait to try it yourself?

10 Winning Hands in Texas Hold'em

In Texas Hold’em, there are just 10 winning hand types, each made up of exactly 5 cards—from the unbeatable Royal Flush to the basic High Card.

Royal Flush

Win Rate: 100%

Royal Flush is the strongest hand in Texas Hold’em: A-K-Q-J-10 all in the same suit. It’s unbeatable, with nearly a 100% win rate.

Example

Board Cards: ♠Q ♠J ♠10 ♠5 ♣2

Hole cards: ♠A ♠K

Final Hand：♠A ♠K ♠Q ♠J ♠10

Straight Flush

Win Rate: 99%

A Straight Flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit. It ranks just below a Royal Flush.

Example

Board Cards: ♥9 ♥8 ♥7 ♥3 ♠2

Hole cards: ♥5 ♥6

Final Hand：♥9 ♥8 ♥7 ♥6 ♥5

Four of a Kind

Win Rate: 95%

Four of a Kind means four cards of the same rank, plus any fifth card. It’s a powerhouse hand, just under the Straight Flush.

Example

Board Cards: ♦A ♣A ♥A ♠5 ♠8

Hole cards: ♠A ♠K

Final Hand：♠A ♦A ♣A ♥A ♠K

Full House

Win Rate: 85%

A Full House is a combination of three cards of one rank and a pair of another. It’s a strong hand with high winning potential.

Example

Board Cards: ♠K ♥7 ♦K ♣3 ♠7

Hole cards: ♦K ♣7

Final Hand：♦K ♠K ♣K ♠7 ♣7

Flush

Win Rate: 70%

A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit. It has about a 70% win rate but can be beaten by a higher flush or a full house.

Example

Board Cards: ♣K ♣10 ♣6 ♣J ♠2

Hole cards: ♣A ♣8

Final Hand：♣A ♣K ♣10 ♣8 ♣6

Straight

Win Rate: 60%

A Straight is five consecutive cards of mixed suits. It beats Three of a Kind but loses to a Flush or Full House.

Example

Board Cards: ♣10 ♠9 ♥8 ♦3 ♣2

Hole cards: ♦6 ♦7

Final Hand：10♣ 9♠ 8♥ 7♦ 6♦

Three of a Kind

Win Rate: 50%

Three of a Kind is three cards of the same rank, plus two unrelated cards. It’s a commonly strong hand.

Example

Board Cards: ♠9 ♦9 ♣4 ♥2 ♦Q

Hole cards: ♥9 ♣K

Final Hand：9♠ 9♦ 9♥ K♣ Q♦

Two Pair

Win Rate: 35%

Two Pair consists of two separate pairs plus one additional card. It has decent winning chances, but can easily be overtaken in multi-player games.

Example

Board Cards: ♠A ♣4 ♠K ♥9 ♦2

Hole cards: ♥A ♦4

Final Hand：A♠ A♥ 4♣ 4♦ K♠

One Pair

Win Rate: 20%

One Pair is two cards of the same rank. It’s the most common hand in Texas Hold’em, but not very strong in multi-player game.

Example

Board Cards: ♠7 ♦5 ♠2 ♣Q ♥10

Hole cards: ♣A ♥7

Final Hand：7♥ 7♠ A♣ Q♣ 10♥

High Card

Win Rate: 5%

High Card means no pairs or combinations—just the highest single card wins. It’s the weakest possible hand.

Example

Board Cards: ♥J ♦8 ♣5 ♠3 ♥4

Hole cards: ♠A ♠2

Final Hand：A♠ J♥ 8♦ 5♣ 4♥

Check out the full list of winning hands, complete with odds and real examples. Learn it once, slay it forever!

Read More: Reddit & Quora? Nah! These Texas Poker Tips Are 100x Better!

Who Wins with the Same Hand?

Even if both players hit the same hand type, it doesn't mean a tie. The real decider is the kicker!

For example:

Player A：♠A ♣A ♦9 ♥5 ♠2

Kickers: 9, 5, 2

Player B：♠A ♣A ♣J ♦6 ♣3

Kickers: J, 6, 3

Both got a pair of Aces, but B wins because J beats 9.

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