Edition: Texas Hold'em as a home game for fun, with chips or matchsticks that have no value. Last checked October 25, 2026
How to Play Poker: Texas Hold'em Rules for Beginners
Texas Hold'em is the best known kind of poker, and it is great fun at home with chips, matchsticks or buttons that are not worth anything. Here is how a hand plays out, the hand rankings, and the rules people most often wonder about.
- Players
- 2 to 10
- Age
- 10 and up
- Playing time
- 1 to 2 hours
How to win: Win chips by having the best hand at the showdown, or by getting everyone else to fold. Whoever ends up with all the chips, or the most chips when you stop, wins.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Poker.
Does a flush beat a straight?
Yes.
A flush is rarer than a straight, so it beats it. A full house beats both.
There is no common house rule here. It helps to keep a hand rankings chart on the table.
Can a straight wrap around the ace, like queen, king, ace, 2, 3?
No.
The ace can be high or low, but a straight cannot wrap around. Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10, jack, queen, king, ace are both valid.
Some home games allow it for fun, but it is not part of the rules.
Who wins if two players have the same pair?
It depends on the other cards.
A hand is always 5 cards. If two players have the same pair, the next highest card, called the kicker, decides. If all 5 cards are equal, the pot is split.
Some always split the pot on the same pair to keep it simple for kids and beginners.
Is one suit better than another, like hearts over spades?
No.
In Texas Hold'em suits have no ranking. Two equal hands split the pot.
Some families use suits to break ties so they do not have to split. Agree on it beforehand.
Do you have to show your cards when everyone else has folded?
No.
The last player left wins the pot and does not have to show their cards.
In friendly games many show their cards anyway, so kids and new players can learn.
What you need
- A standard 52 card deck without jokers
- Chips, matchsticks or buttons with no value
- A button or small object to mark the dealer
Setup
- 1Everyone gets the same number of chips.
- 2Pick a dealer. The dealer button moves one seat to the left after each hand.
- 3The two players to the left of the dealer put in a small and a big forced bet, called the blinds.
How to play
- 1Everyone gets 2 cards face down. Only you may see them.
- 2The first betting round starts with the player to the left of the big blind. You can fold, call or raise.
- 3The dealer lays 3 shared cards face up on the table. This is the flop. Another betting round follows.
- 4The dealer lays a fourth shared card. This is the turn. Another betting round.
- 5The dealer lays a fifth shared card. This is the river. Final betting round.
- 6From the flop on, betting starts with the first active player to the left of the dealer. If no one has bet, you may check, meaning pass without betting.
- 7If more than one player is left, they show their cards. The best 5 card hand wins the pot.
- 8You make your hand from the best 5 cards among your 2 hole cards and the 5 shared cards. You may use 2, 1 or 0 of your own cards.
- 9If everyone else folds, the last player wins the pot without showing their cards.
Poker hand rankings from best to worst
- Royal flush: ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit
- Straight flush: five cards in a row of the same suit
- Four of a kind: four cards of the same rank
- Full house: three of a kind plus a pair
- Flush: five cards of the same suit
- Straight: five cards in a row in mixed suits
- Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank
- Two pair: two different pairs
- One pair: two cards of the same rank
- High card: when no one has any of the above
Card values
Ace is highest, then king, queen, jack and 10 down to 2. The ace can also be the lowest card in the straight ace, 2, 3, 4, 5. Suits have no ranking.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Poker rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play poker without money?
Yes. Use chips, matchsticks or buttons with no value. The game is just as fun, and that is the version we describe here.
What are blinds in poker?
Blinds are two small forced bets that the two players to the left of the dealer put in before the cards are dealt. That way there is always something to play for.
How many cards do you get in Texas Hold'em?
Each player gets 2 cards of their own, and 5 shared cards are dealt on the table. Your best hand is made from 5 of those 7 cards.
Source: The standard rules of Texas Hold'em, adapted for home games without money. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.