In Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two cards face down and use these cards along with the five community cards on the table to make the best five card hand.

The Dealer Button

Texas Hold’em uses a button to determine the “dealer” for each hand.  Once the hand is completed the button moves to the player on the left who then becomes the dealer.  The dealer button is used so that everyone gets to take their turn playing in early and late positions and in posting the blinds.

The Blinds

The blinds are forced bets that get the action going.  The player to the left of the dealer button posts the small blind, and the player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind. 

The small blind is usually half of the small bet.  In a $2/$4 game, the small bet is $2, so the small blind would be $1.  The big blind would be equal to the small bet, $2.

Pre-Flop Betting

Once the blinds are posted the dealer deals two cards to each player face down, also known as a players “hole cards”.  After the cards are dealt, the player to the immediate left of the big blind, also known as the player “under the gun”, is first to act.  The first to act may do one of the following:

• Call the big blind (match the amount of the big blind);
• Raise (the amount depends upon whether you are playing limit, pot limit or no limit, for example in limit a raise would be double the big blind; in no limit the minimum raise would be double to big blind if first to act and the maximum would be all in); or
• Fold (throw their hand away without paying anything to the pot). 

The action continues until each player has acted.  

The Flop (Third Street)

After the pre-flop betting is complete, the flop is dealt by discarding the top card of the deck facedown on the table (the “burn” card) and turning over three cards face up in the center.  These are community cards that each of the players can use to make their best five card hand.  The action this round begins with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand, who can check or bet.  If there is a bet, the other players must then call the bet, raise or fold.  Betting continues until each player has acted.

The Turn (Fourth Street)

After betting on the flop is complete, the dealer burns another card, and turns over another card face up in the center of the table.  As on the flop, the player to the left of the dealer button is first to act, followed by the remaining players still in the hand.

The River (Fifth Street)

Once betting on the turn is complete the dealer burns another card turns over the final card face up in the center of the table, known as the river.  As on the flop and turn, the player to the left of the dealer button is first to act, followed by the remaining players still in the hand. 

Showdown

Once betting is finished, the last person to make a bet or raise on the river must flip over his cards.  Each player in turn compares his hand to this and if beaten and can either show his hand or throw away or “muck” his hand face down so that no one sees what they were holding.  The best five card poker hand wins, using any combination of your two hole cards and the five cards on the board.  It is not necessary to use your two cards, sometimes the best five card hand consists of the five community cards.