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Learn poker in 2 minutes

The rules of Texas Hold'em in five lines, and the order of the hands. Enough to sit down at a home game and follow what is happening.

Lesson: Seven cards, best five (needs an invite). In the glossary: Streets: preflop, flop, turn and river, Hand rankings, Showdown. How the numbers are made.

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The whole game in five rules

  1. You get two cards that only you see. Five shared cards are then dealt face up in the middle: three, then one, then one.
  2. Your hand is the best five cards from your two and the five shared ones.
  3. There is a round of betting before the shared cards and after each new batch. On your turn you fold, check, call, bet or raise.
  4. You win the pot when everyone else folds, or when your hand is the best one shown at the end.
  5. Before the cards, two players put in forced bets called the blinds, so there is always something to win. The button marks the dealer and moves one seat left each hand.
Preflop2 cards eachAce of heartsA♥Jack of spadesJ♠betting round 1Flop3 on the boardKing of diamondsK♦Jack of heartsJ♥Seven of clubs7♣betting round 2Turn1 moreKing of diamondsK♦Jack of heartsJ♥Seven of clubs7♣Two of spades2♠betting round 3Riverthe last oneKing of diamondsK♦Jack of heartsJ♥Seven of clubs7♣Two of spades2♠Ace of clubsA♣betting round 4
Each street adds cards and then a round of betting. The new card on each street has a gold edge. Your two cards are yours alone; the five on the board are shared by everyone.

What beats what

  1. Royal flush: ace to ten, all one suit.
  2. Straight flush: five in a row, all one suit.
  3. Four of a kind: all four cards of one rank.
  4. Full house: three of one rank and a pair of another.
  5. Flush: five cards of one suit.
  6. Straight: five ranks in a row; the ace plays high or low.
  7. Three of a kind: three cards of one rank.
  8. Two pair: two different pairs.
  9. One pair: two cards of one rank.
  10. High card: none of the above; the highest card plays.

When two players hold the same kind of hand, the higher cards win: a pair of kings beats a pair of queens. Suits never decide. The hand rankings page gives the odds of each one.