To play poker, specifically Texas Hold'em-the most popular variant-follow these steps:
- Setup and Deal
- Each player is dealt two private cards face down, called "hole cards."
- Five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table in stages: the Flop (3 cards), the Turn (1 card), and the River (1 card)
- Betting Rounds
- Before any cards are dealt, players post forced bets called the small blind and big blind to start the betting pool.
- After receiving hole cards, players take turns betting, with options to fold (quit the hand), check (pass without betting), call (match a bet), or raise (increase the bet).
- Betting occurs in four rounds: pre-flop (after hole cards), post-flop (after first 3 community cards), after the Turn, and after the River
- Making the Best Hand
- Players aim to make the best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards.
- Hands are ranked from highest to lowest, e.g., Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, etc.
- Showdown and Winning
- After the final betting round on the River, remaining players reveal their cards in the showdown.
- The player with the highest-ranking five-card hand wins the pot (all bets made during the hand).
- If all other players fold before showdown, the last remaining player wins the pot without revealing cards
- Game Progression
- After a hand ends, the dealer button moves one seat to the left, rotating the blinds and dealing order for the next hand
In summary, Texas Hold'em poker involves strategic betting and hand-building over several rounds, with the goal of winning chips by having the best hand or convincing others to fold
