The rules of hold'em take ten minutes to learn, yet most beginners lose their chips in the first week by misremembering hand rankings, ignoring position and betting without logic. This page covers the rules, the ranking order, the full flow of a hand and the idea of position as briefly as possible, then points you to free practice.
Rules: the full flow of a hand
- Blinds. The player left of the dealer button (D) posts the small blind, the next posts the big blind, for example $0.05 / $0.10.
- Hole cards. Two each, seen only by you.
- Pre-flop betting. Starting left of the big blind, each player folds, calls the big blind or raises.
- The flop. Three community cards. Betting starts with the first active player left of the button: check, bet, call, raise or fold.
- The turn. A fourth community card and another betting round.
- The river. The fifth card and the final betting round.
- Showdown. Remaining players reveal and the best five of seven wins. If only one player is left at any point, they take the pot.
Hand rankings (highest to lowest)
| # | Hand | Chinese | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | 皇家同花順 | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | Ten to ace, same suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | 同花順 | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five in sequence, same suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | 四條 | K K K K 3 | Four of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | 葫蘆 | Q Q Q 7 7 | Three of a kind plus a pair |
| 5 | Flush | 同花 | A♣ J♣ 8♣ 5♣ 2♣ | Any five of one suit |
| 6 | Straight | 順子 | 8 7 6 5 4 | Five in sequence, any suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | 三條 | J J J 9 4 | Three of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | 兩對 | 10 10 6 6 A | Two pairs |
| 9 | One pair | 一對 | A A 9 7 3 | One pair |
| 10 | High card | 高牌 | A K 9 6 2 | Nothing; highest card plays |
The three most common mix-ups: a flush beats a straight; a full house beats a flush; the ace plays high (10-J-Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3-4-5) in a straight, but never wraps around (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight).
Betting actions
| Action | Chinese | Meaning | When available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fold | 棄牌 | Give up the hand and discard | Any time it is your turn |
| Check | 過牌 | Bet nothing and pass the action | When nobody has bet |
| Bet | 下注 | Put the first chips into the pot | When nobody has bet |
| Call | 跟注 | Match the current bet | After someone bets |
| Raise | 加注 | Increase the current bet | After someone bets |
| All-in | 全下 | Push all your chips in | Any time |
No-limit means you can go all-in at any time. Online tables show only the actions available to you.
Position: the first concept to understand
| Position | Abbr. | Post-flop order | How tight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small blind | SB | First | Tight; worst post-flop position |
| Big blind | BB | Second | Defend pre-flop at a discount, tight post-flop |
| Under the gun | UTG | Third | Tightest; strong hands only |
| Middle / hijack | MP / HJ | Fourth | Tight |
| Cut-off | CO | Fifth | Can loosen |
| Button | BTN | Last | Widest; most favourable |
The later you act, the more you know. K-J is a fold under the gun and a raise on the button. This one idea matters more than any memorised chart.
Three numbers to memorise
Shortcut: outs × 4 on the flop ≈ chance to hit by the river; outs × 2 on the turn. A flush draw is 9 outs × 4 = 36%.
The mistakes of the first three weeks
- Too many hands. Beginners should fold more than 80% of starting hands.
- Calling too much, raising too little. Raise or fold; passive calling loses the most over time.
- Chasing without odds. Fold a flush draw to a bet larger than the pot.
- Ignoring position. Loose early and tight late is exactly backwards.
- Tilt. Betting bigger after a bad beat is where the most money goes.
Where to practise for free
ClubGG free app
Free chips, no real money, same interface as GGPoker. The safest practice ground.
GGPoker freerolls
Daily freerolls against real opponents at zero cost (requires a real-money account).
Strategy page
After the rules: ranges, odds and bankroll management.
Unfamiliar terms are in the poker glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules of Texas hold'em?
Each player gets two hole cards, five community cards are dealt to the table, and you make the best five-card hand from any of the seven. Four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, river. The hand ends at showdown or when everyone else folds.
What is the hand ranking order?
Royal flush > straight flush > four of a kind > full house > flush > straight > three of a kind > two pair > one pair > high card.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes. This is the one beginners get wrong most.
What are blinds?
Forced bets by the two players left of the dealer before cards are dealt: the small blind and big blind. They seed the pot and force action.
Where can I practise for free?
The ClubGG free-chip app (no real money) and GGPoker's daily freerolls. See the ClubGG section of this site.
Which numbers should I memorise?
Three: a pocket pair arrives about 6% of the time; a flush draw hits by the river about 35%; an open-ended straight draw about 32%.
