Texas Hold'em — Complete Ruleset

This is a complete rules reference for Texas Hold'em poker, including the edge cases and exceptions that come up at real tables. It covers the No-Limit variant by default, with notes for Limit and Pot-Limit where they differ.

1. Overview

Texas Hold'em is a community-card poker game. Each player is dealt two private cards (hole cards). Five community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table, shared by all players. Each player makes the best five-card poker hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards.

• Players: 2 to 10 (some rooms allow 11 short-handed variants; standard cap is 9–10). A game with exactly 2 players is called heads-up.
• Deck: Standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Four suits (clubs ♣, diamonds ♦, hearts ♥, spades ♠), thirteen ranks (2 low through Ace high). Suits have no value for ranking hands (see §9 on ties).
• Objective: Win chips by either forcing all opponents to fold, or by holding the best five-card hand at showdown.

2. Table Positions and the Button

• Dealer button ("the button"): A marker indicating the nominal dealer position. It determines the order of blinds and action. After each hand the button moves one seat clockwise to the next active player.
• Small blind (SB): The player immediately clockwise from the button.
• Big blind (BB): The player immediately clockwise from the small blind.
• Under the gun (UTG): The player immediately clockwise from the big blind; first to act pre-flop in a full-ring game.

2.1 Heads-up (2 players) exception

• The button is the small blind and acts first pre-flop and last on all later streets.
• The other player posts the big blind and acts last pre-flop, first afterward.
• This is the reverse of the multi-way ordering, and it trips up a lot of players moving from a full table to heads-up.

2.2 Button movement with eliminations

• In a cash game, the button advances one seat clockwise each hand among seated players.
• In a tournament, when players are eliminated the button still advances by the "dead button" rule: the button and blinds are assigned as if eliminated players were still present, so the button may land on an empty seat (dead button) and a player may occasionally not owe a blind they'd normally owe. See §3.4.

3. Blinds, Antes, and Posting

3.1 Blinds

• Before any cards are dealt, the SB and BB post forced bets.
• Typical structure: SB = half the BB (rounded per house rules), BB = one full minimum bet.
• The big blind amount defines the minimum bet for the opening round.

3.2 Antes (optional)

• An ante is a small forced contribution from every player (or, in the big blind ante format, a single larger ante posted by the big blind on behalf of the table).
• Antes go into the pot but do not count toward a player's call amount for the current betting round.

3.3 Posting rules for new / returning players

• A player joining a cash game between the blinds may be required to post an amount equal to the big blind (a "dead" post) to be dealt in, or wait for the big blind to reach them.
• A returning player who missed blinds may owe a missed blind post (missed BB + missed SB, where the SB portion is "dead" — placed in the pot, not part of their bet).

3.4 Dead button rule (tournaments)

• If the player who would be the small blind was eliminated, the small blind may be "dead" (not posted) that hand, and the button is placed so the big blind is always posted by an eligible player.
• The core invariant: the big blind is always posted, and no player posts the big blind twice in a row due to button movement.

3.5 All-in on a blind

• If a player has fewer chips than the required blind, they post what they have and are all-in. The hand proceeds; that player can only win the portion of the pot they contributed to (see §7 side pots).

4. Order of Play (a single hand)

1. Move the button; post antes (if any) and blinds.
2. Deal hole cards: Starting with the SB and going clockwise, deal one card at a time to each player until every player has two hole cards.
3. Pre-flop betting round (§5).
4. The Flop: Burn one card, deal three community cards face up.
5. Flop betting round.
6. The Turn: Burn one card, deal one community card (the fourth).
7. Turn betting round.
8. The River: Burn one card, deal one community card (the fifth).
9. River betting round.
10. Showdown (§8) — if two or more players remain.

4.1 Burn cards

• One card is burned (dealt face down, out of play) immediately before the flop, before the turn, and before the river — three burn cards total in a completed hand.
• Burn cards are never revealed and never in play, even in misdeal corrections (house rules vary; the common rule is the burn card stays burned).

5. Betting Rounds and Actions

Betting proceeds clockwise. On each betting round, action continues until every player still in the hand has either put in an equal amount for that round or folded (see §5.4 for when a round closes).

5.1 Order of action

• Pre-flop: First action is UTG (player left of the BB). The BB acts last and has the option (§5.5).
• Post-flop (flop, turn, river): First action is the first active player clockwise from the button (normally the SB, or the next active player if the SB has folded). The button acts last among those still in the hand.
• Heads-up reverses pre-flop vs. post-flop first-actor as described in §2.1.

5.2 Available actions

• Check: Pass the action with no bet, only allowed when no bet is outstanding for the current round.
• Bet: Put chips in when no bet is yet outstanding this round.
• Call: Match the current outstanding bet.
• Raise: Increase the outstanding bet (see §6 for sizing).
• Fold: Surrender the hand and forfeit any claim to the pot. Folded players' cards are dead.

5.3 Check-raise

• A player who checks may raise later in the same round if a bet is made behind them. Check-raising is legal in standard rules.

5.4 When a betting round ends

A round ends when both conditions hold:

1. Every player still in the hand has acted at least once this round, and
2. All players still in the hand (and not all-in) have contributed equal chips for this round.

Special: If a bet/raise is made and all other remaining players call or fold, the round closes. If everyone checks around, the round closes.

5.5 The big blind's option (pre-flop)

• If no one raises pre-flop and action reaches the BB, the BB may check (they already have a full bet in) or raise. This is "the option."
• If the BB checks, the pre-flop round ends.

5.6 Betting when players are all-in

• A player with no chips left (all-in) takes no further actions but remains in the hand for the pots they are eligible for.
• If at most one player has chips remaining and all others are all-in, no further betting can occur; remaining community cards are dealt and the hand goes to showdown. (See §7.4 "run it once/twice" as an optional variant.)

6. Bet Sizing Rules (by variant)

6.1 No-Limit (default)

• Minimum bet: Equal to the big blind (on the pre-flop and any later round, minimum bet = one BB unless a larger bet is already outstanding).
• Minimum raise: A raise must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round. Example: BB = 10; if a player raises to 30 (a raise of 20), the next raise must be to at least 50 (another 20 on top).
• Maximum bet/raise: A player may bet or raise up to all of their chips (all-in) at any time.
• The raise amount is the increment above the previous bet, not the total.

6.2 The all-in "short raise" and reopening the action

• If a player goes all-in for less than a full minimum raise (an "incomplete raise"), it does not reopen the betting to players who have already acted. Those players may only call or fold; they cannot re-raise.
• If the all-in is a full legal raise (≥ the minimum raise increment), the action is reopened and previous callers may re-raise.
• Example: Bet is 100. Player A raises to 200 (min next raise → 300). Player B goes all-in for 250. Because 250 < 300, it's an incomplete raise; A may only call the extra 50 or fold — A cannot re-raise. But a player who had not yet faced 200 still faces a legal amount.

6.3 Limit Hold'em

• Bets and raises are in fixed increments: the "small bet" pre-flop and on the flop, the "big bet" (double) on the turn and river.
• Typically a maximum of one bet and three raises (a "cap") per round — house rules vary (some allow four raises). Heads-up is often uncapped.

6.4 Pot-Limit Hold'em

• Minimum bet/raise as in No-Limit, but the maximum bet/raise = the current size of the pot, defined as: (chips in the pot) + (all bets on the table) + (the amount the acting player would call before raising).

7. Pots and Side Pots

7.1 Main pot

• All bets go into the pot for the round. When no all-ins are involved, there is a single pot awarded to the winner(s) at showdown.

7.2 Side pots (created by all-ins)

• When a player is all-in for less than the amount others are willing to wager, their eligibility is capped. Chips beyond their all-in amount form a side pot contested only by players who contributed to it.
• Here's how it works:
  1. Sort all-in amounts ascending.
  2. For each distinct all-in level, form a pot layer: each contributing player puts in min(their total contribution, that level) for that layer.
  3. A player is eligible to win a given pot layer only if they contributed to it and have not folded.
• There can be multiple side pots when multiple players are all-in for different amounts.

7.3 Awarding pots

• Pots are awarded from the last side pot back to the main pot, or independently — each pot goes to the best eligible hand among that pot's contributors. A player can win a side pot but not the main pot, or vice versa.
• If the best overall hand belongs to a short all-in player, they win the main pot; the side pot(s) go to the best hand among the remaining eligible players.

7.4 Uncalled bets

• If a player bets or raises an amount that no one calls (everyone folds, or the remaining player(s) called a smaller portion), the uncalled portion is returned to the bettor. It never enters the pot.
• Example: Player A bets 500 all-in; Player B calls only 300 all-in; the extra 200 is returned to A before showdown.

7.5 Odd chip rule (indivisible chips in split pots)

• When a pot cannot be divided evenly among winners, the odd chip goes to the player in the worst position — conventionally the first eligible player clockwise from the button (the seat that would act first).
• In high-low or split scenarios the exact odd-chip rule can vary by house; standard Hold'em uses the "first seat left of the button" convention.
• Chips are indivisible; there is no sub-chip currency, so all splits round to whole chips with the remainder distributed per the odd-chip rule.

7.6 Rake (cash games)

• The house may remove a rake (a fee, often a percentage of the pot up to a cap) before awarding. Rake is a house-imposed fee, not a rule of the game itself — a private home game typically charges none at all.

8. Showdown

8.1 When showdown occurs

• Showdown happens after the river betting round if two or more players remain.
• If all but one player folds at any point, the last remaining player wins the pot without a showdown and is not required to reveal their cards.

8.2 Order of revealing

• If the final betting round had a bet, the last player to bet or raise (the "aggressor") shows first. Then, clockwise, each remaining player either shows a winning/tying hand or mucks.
• If the final round was checked through, the first active player clockwise from the button shows first.
• (This ordering only affects who is forced to reveal first; the best hand wins regardless of reveal order.)

8.3 Mucking

• A player may muck (discard without showing) if they cannot win, forfeiting any claim to the pot. A player must table (show) both hole cards to win a pot.
• Cards must be shown face up to be awarded the pot; a hand that is mucked is dead even if it would have won.

8.4 "Cards speak"

• At showdown, the best five-card hand wins regardless of what the player declares — the physical cards "speak" for themselves. A misstatement of one's hand does not bind the player if the cards are tabled.

8.5 Playing the board

• If a player's best five-card hand is exactly the five community cards (their hole cards do not improve on the board), they are "playing the board." They remain eligible to win, but since everyone shares the board, this typically results in a split among all players who cannot beat the board.

8.6 Using zero, one, or two hole cards

• A player may use any combination of their hole cards and the board to make the best five-card hand: both hole cards + three board, one hole card + four board, or zero hole cards + all five board.

9. Hand Rankings

Hands are ranked by category first; within a category, by the ranks of the cards (with kickers). From highest to lowest:

1. Royal Flush — A-K-Q-J-10, all the same suit. (Highest straight flush.)
2. Straight Flush — Five consecutive ranks, all the same suit (e.g., 9♥-8♥-7♥-6♥-5♥).
3. Four of a Kind (Quads) — Four cards of the same rank + one kicker.
4. Full House — Three of a kind + a pair (e.g., three Kings + two 4s).
5. Flush — Five cards of the same suit, not consecutive.
6. Straight — Five consecutive ranks, mixed suits.
7. Three of a Kind (Trips/Set) — Three cards of the same rank + two kickers.
8. Two Pair — Two cards of one rank + two of another + one kicker.
9. One Pair — Two cards of the same rank + three kickers.
10. High Card — None of the above; ranked by highest cards.

9.1 Ace high and low (the wheel)

• The Ace is normally the highest card.
• The Ace can also be low to form the A-2-3-4-5 straight (the "wheel" or "bicycle"), which is the lowest straight. Here the 5 is the high card, so A-2-3-4-5 loses to 2-3-4-5-6.
• The Ace cannot "wrap around" — Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.

9.2 Comparing hands of the same category (tie-breaking)

• Straight flush / straight: Compare the rank of the highest card in the run (with the wheel's high card being the 5).
• Four of a kind: Compare the quad rank; if equal (only possible when quads are on the board), compare the kicker.
• Full house: Compare the three-of-a-kind rank first, then the pair rank.
• Flush: Compare the highest card; if equal, the next highest; and so on through all five cards.
• Three of a kind: Compare the trip rank, then the two kickers in order.
• Two pair: Compare the higher pair, then the lower pair, then the kicker.
• One pair: Compare the pair rank, then the three kickers in order.
• High card: Compare cards from highest to lowest until a difference.

9.3 Kickers

• A kicker is a card not part of the primary combination, used to break ties.
• Only the best five cards count. With seven available cards (2 hole + 5 board), the two unused cards are irrelevant — they are not kickers and never affect the result.
• Example: Both players have a pair of Aces using the board; the winner is determined by the best three kickers among each player's available cards, limited to the five-card hand.

9.4 Suits never break ties

• Suits have no ranking value in Hold'em. If two hands are identical in rank across all five cards, the pot is split (§7.5 for odd chips). There is no "spades beats hearts" rule in standard Hold'em.

9.5 Exact-tie examples (split pots)

• Two players both play the board → split among all remaining players.
• Two players with A-K where the board gives both the same straight → split.
• Identical two pair with identical kicker → split.

10. Misdeals, Irregularities, and Corrections

House rules vary; the following are the common (TDA-style) conventions used at most cardrooms and tournaments.

10.1 Misdeals

A misdeal is typically declared (and the hand redealt with the same button) if, before significant action:

• The first or second card off the deck is exposed by the dealer.
• Two or more hole cards are exposed by the dealer.
• Cards are dealt to a wrong number of seats or to an empty/ineligible seat.
• The wrong player receives the first card, or the deal begins in the wrong seat.
• A player receives the wrong number of cards and it is caught before action.

Once significant action has occurred (per house rules, e.g., two players have acted), the hand generally cannot be called a misdeal.

10.2 Exposed cards during the deal

• If a single hole card is exposed by the dealer error, the deal usually continues; the exposed card is taken by the player, and the next card off the deck (after completing the round) may be used as a replacement per house rules — commonly the player keeps the card and it's not a misdeal.

10.3 Boxed cards (face-up in the deck)

• A card found face up in the deck ("boxed") is treated as though it were a blank/nonexistent card and is discarded; play continues with the next card.

10.4 Exposed community cards / dealer errors on the board

• If the flop is dealt without a burn, or too many cards are flopped, the board is corrected per procedure (reshuffle the flopped cards with the remaining deck, etc.). These are purely procedural dealer-error fixes, not rules that affect strategy.

10.5 Acting out of turn

• An action out of turn is not binding if the action changes before it's the player's real turn. If it does not change (i.e., the situation is the same when it legally becomes their turn), the out-of-turn action stands.
• A check out of turn typically binds the player to check when their turn comes (they cannot then raise), per common rules.

10.6 String bets and string raises

• A string bet (moving chips to the pot in multiple motions, or verbally hesitating without declaring a full amount) is not allowed; only the first motion/amount counts. A verbal declaration of amount is binding.
• The fix is simple in practice: declare your full amount in one go, or say it out loud before moving any chips.

10.7 Verbal declarations are binding

• A verbal statement of action in turn (e.g., "raise," "call," "fold") is binding and takes precedence over chip motions.

10.8 The minimum required to have a live hand

• A player must have posted required blinds/antes (or be all-in for less) and hold exactly two hole cards to have a live hand. A hand with the wrong number of cards (discovered later) is typically dead.

11. Game-End and Chip-Stack Conditions

• Cash game: Players may join, leave, and rebuy between hands. A hand always plays to completion for the players dealt in.
• Tournament: Players are eliminated when they lose all chips. Blinds increase on a schedule. The game ends when one player holds all chips.
• Chip integrity: The total number of chips in play stays constant within a hand — conserved across the pot, side pots, and any returned uncalled bets.

12. Common Misconceptions and Clarifications

A handful of points catch out new players (and even some dealers) more than anything else in the game:

• Heads-up reverses the blind/button/action order from a full table — see §2.1.
• An incomplete all-in raise does not reopen the betting to players who already faced the previous bet — they may only call or fold, never re-raise, unless the all-in was a full legal raise (§6.2).
• A folded player never wins any pot, even one they contributed chips to earlier in the hand.
• The uncalled portion of a bet is always returned to the bettor before any pot is awarded (§7.4) — it never sits in the pot unclaimed.
• "Playing the board" — using none of your hole cards because the community cards alone are your best hand — is a real, legal way to tie or split a pot (§8.5, §9.5).
• The Ace-low "wheel" straight (A-2-3-4-5) cannot wrap around — Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight (§9.1).
• Only your best five cards count, out of the seven available (two hole cards + five community) — the two you don't use are never kickers (§9.3).
• Suits never break ties. Identical hands split the pot; there is no "spades beats hearts" rule in standard Hold'em (§9.4).
• A short-stacked all-in player is only eligible for the portion of the pot they contributed to — everything beyond that goes into a side pot they can't win (§3.5, §7.2).
• Winning by fold never requires a showdown or a card reveal (§8.1).
• You must table both hole cards to be awarded a pot — a hand that's mucked is dead even if it would have won (§8.3).

13. Glossary

• Action: A player's turn or the betting activity in general.
• Aggressor: The last player to bet or raise on a street.
• Board: The five community cards.
• Burn: A card dealt face down and removed from play before a community deal.
• Button: The dealer-position marker; determines order of play.
• Community cards: Shared face-up cards (flop, turn, river).
• Flop / Turn / River: The first three / fourth / fifth community cards.
• Hole cards: A player's two private cards.
• Kicker: A tie-breaking side card within a five-card hand.
• Muck: To discard a hand face down; a mucked hand is dead.
• Nut(s): The best possible hand given the board.
• Pot: The total chips wagered, awarded to the winner(s).
• Set / Trips: Three of a kind (a "set" uses a pocket pair; "trips" uses one hole card + a pair on the board).
• Showdown: Revealing hands to determine the winner after the final round.
• Side pot: A separate pot created when a player is all-in for less.
• Street: A betting round (pre-flop, flop, turn, river).
• Wheel: The A-2-3-4-5 straight, the lowest straight.

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