• Texas Hold’em Rules Texas Hold’em is played using a standard 52 card deck, and between two to ten players. Big tournaments may include many hundreds of players but during any one hand, the player is only competing against others on his or her table.
• Texas Hold'em is a 5 card poker game where players make wagers on the confidence in their hand's chances of winning. This type of poker uses 5 community cards that all players can use and 2 hole cards that are face down. Like any poker game the styles and strategies of play can get very complex and take years of dedicated play to learn.

1. Texas Holdem Tournament Rules Printable
2. Texas Holdem Rules Printable
3. Texas Hold'em Tournament Rules Printable Worksheets

Table Of Contents

Below you will find the 2019 version of the Poker TDA Rules, Recommended Procedures and Illustration Addendum in English. For a downloadable copy in either MS Word or PDF format, and for foreign language translations visit our rules page. POKER TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS ASSN. 2019 Rules Version 1.0, Sept 17, 2019 Longform Version Includes: Recommended Procedures &Continue Reading.

If you want to learn how to play Texas hold'em games, then you need to start from the basic rules and hands. That's exactly what you'll find on this beginner's guide to the game.

Texas hold'em is a simple poker game, but it can be daunting to get to grips with.

But don't let that put you off. By the time you are down with this beginner's guide to Texas hold'em, you will know:

1. What Is Texas Hold'em Poker?

Texas Hold'em is the most popular of all poker variations.

All of the marquee tournaments around the world (including those played at the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour, the and the European Poker Tour) feature the no-limit variation of this game.

Texas hold'em is so popular that is the only poker game many players will ever learn.

It takes a moment to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Discovering how to play Texas hold'em poker is not difficult and the simplicity of its rules, gameplay, and hand-ranking all contribute to the popularity of the game.

However, don't let the simplicity of the game mislead you.

The number of possible situations and combinations is so vast that Texas hold'em can be an extremely complex game when you play at the highest levels.

If you are approaching the game of Texas hold'em for the first time, starting from the basic rules of the game is key. Not only these are the easiest ones to learn, but they are also essential to understand the gameplay and, later on, the game's basic strategy.

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2. Texas Hold'em Rules

So how do you play Texas hold'em?

The goal of a Texas hold'em game is to use your hole card and in combination with the community cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand.

Hold'em is not unlike other poker games like five-card draw.

However, the way players construct their hands in Texas hold'em is a little different than in draw poker.

It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

• In a game of Texas hold'em, each player is dealt two cards face down (the 'hole cards')
• Throughout several betting rounds, five more cards are (eventually) dealt face up in the middle of the table
• These face-up cards are called the 'community cards.' Each player is free to use the community cards in combination with their hole cards to build a five-card poker hand.

While we will see each betting round and different phase that forms a full hand of a Texas hold'em game, you should know that the five community cards are dealt in three stages:

• The Flop: the first three community cards.
• The Turn: the fourth community card.
• The River:The fifth and final community card.

Your mission is to construct your five-card poker hands using the best available five cards out of the seven total cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards).

You can do that by using both your hole cards in combination with three community cards, one hole card in combination with four community cards, or no hole cards.

If the cards on the table lead to a better combination, you can also play all five community cards and forget about yours.

In a game of Texas hold'em you can do whatever works to make the best five-card hand.

If the betting causes all but one player to fold, the lone remaining player wins the pot without having to show any cards.

For that reason, players don't always have to hold the best hand to win the pot. It's always possible a player can 'bluff' and get others to fold better hands.

READ ALSO: Common Poker Tells: How to Read People in Poker

If two or more players make it all of the way to the showdown after the last community card is dealt and all betting is complete, the only way to win the pot is to have the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Now that you know the basics of Texas hold'em and you start to begin gaining an understanding of how the game works, it's time to get into some specifics.

These include how to deal Texas hold'em and how the betting works.

Basic Rules Key Takeaways:

• A game of Texas hold'em feature several betting rounds
• Players get two private and up to five community cards
• Unless all players abandon the game before the showdown, you need the highest poker hand to win

How to Play

Let's have a look at all the different key aspects of a Texas hold'em game, including the different positions at the table and the betting rounds featured in the game.

The Button

The play moves clockwise around the table, starting with action to the left of the dealer button.

The 'button' is a round disc that sits in front of a player and is rotated one seat to the left every hand.

When playing in casinos and poker rooms, the player with the dealer button doesn't deal the cards (the poker room hires someone to do that).

In when you play poker home games with friends the player with the button usually deals the hands.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

The first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a 'small blind' and a 'big blind' to initiate the betting.

From there, the action occurs on multiple streets:

• Preflop
• Flop
• Turn
• River

Each one of these moments (or 'streets' in the game's lingo) is explained further below.

The button determines which player at the table is the acting dealer.

In Texas hold'em, the player on button, or last active player closest to the button receives the last action on all post-flop streets of play.

While the dealer button dictates which players have to post the small and big blinds, it also determines where the dealing of the cards begin.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button in the small blind receives the first card and then the dealer pitches cards around the table in a clockwise motion from player to player until each has received two starting cards.

READ ALSO: Poker Positions Explained: the Importance of Position in Poker

The Blinds

Before every new hand begins, two players at the table are obligated to post small and big blinds.

The blinds are forced bets that begin the wagering.

Without these blinds, the game would be very boring because no one would be required to put any money into the pot and players could just wait around until they are dealt pocket aces (AA) and only play then.

The blinds ensure there will be some level of 'action' on every hand.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals. In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

In tournaments, the blinds are raised at regular intervals.

• As the number of players keeps decreasing and the stacks of the remaining players keep getting bigger, it is a necessity that the blinds keep increasing throughout a tournament. [*]In cash games, the blinds always stay the same.

The player directly to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the player to his or her direct left posts the big blind.

The small blind is generally half the amount of the big blind, although this stipulation varies from room to room and can also be dependent on the game being played.

In a '$1/$2' Texas holdem game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2.

First Betting Round: Preflop

The first round of betting takes place right after each player has been dealt two hole cards.

The first player to act is the player to the left of the big blind.

This position referred to as 'under the gun' because the player has to act first. The first player has three options:

• Call: match the amount of the big blind
• Raise: increase the bet within the specific limits of the game
• Fold: throw the hand away

If the player chooses to fold, he or she is out of the game and no longer eligible to win the current hand.

Players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

The amount a player can raise to depends on the game that is being played.

In a game of no-limit Texas hold'em, the minimum opening raise must be at least twice the big blind, and the maximum raise can be all of the chips a player has in his or her stack (an 'all-in' bet).

There are other betting variations in hold'em poker.

In fixed-limit hold'em (or just 'limit hold'em), a raise is always exactly twice the big blind.

In pot-limit hold'em (played much less often than the other variations), players can bet anywhere from the amount of the big blind (the minimum bet allowed) up to the total amount in the current pot.

After the first player ('under the gun') acts, the play proceeds in a clockwise fashion around the table with each player also having the same three options — to call, to raise, or fold.

Once the last bet is called and the action is 'closed,' the preflop round is over and play moves on to the 'flop.'

Second Betting Round: The Flop

After the first preflop betting round has been completed, the first three community cards are dealt and a second betting round follows involving only the players who have not folded already.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

In this betting round (and subsequent ones), the action starts with the first active player to the left of the button.

Along with the options to bet, call, fold, or raise, a player now has the option to 'check' if no betting action has occurred beforehand.

A check simply means to pass the action to the next player in the hand.

Again betting continues until the last bet or raise has been called (which closes the action).

It also can happen that every player simply chooses not to be and checks around the table, which also ends the betting round.

Third Betting Round: The Turn

Call – match the amount of the big blind

The fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the flop.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to that on the previous street of play.

Again players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

Final Betting Round: The River

Fold – throw the hand away

Texas Holdem Tournament Rules Printable

The fifth community card, called the river, is dealt face-up following all betting action on the turn.

Once this has been completed, another round of betting occurs, similar to what took play on the previous street of play.

Once more the remaining players have the option to options to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

After all betting action has been completed, the remaining players in the hand with hole cards now expose their holdings to determine a winner. This is called the showdown.

The Showdown

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available

The remaining players show their hole cards, and with the assistance of the dealer, a winning hand is determined.

The player with the best combination of five cards wins the pot according to the official poker hand rankings.

3. The Hands in Texas Hold'em

These hand rankings aren't specifically part of Texas hold'em rules, but apply to many different poker games.

• Royal Flush — five cards of the same suit, ranked ace through ten; e.g., A♥K♥Q♥J♥10♥
• Straight Flush — five cards of the same suit and consecutively ranked; e.g., 9♣8♣7♣6♣5♣
• Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank; e.g., Q♣Q♥Q♦Q♠4♦
• Full House — three cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., J♣J♥J♠8♦8♥
• Flush — any five cards of the same suit; e.g., A♠J♠8♠5♠2♠
• Straight — any five cards consecutively ranked; e.g., Q♣J♦10♥9♠8♦
• Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank; e.g., 8♣8♠8♦K♣4♥
• Two Pair — two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank; e.g., A♠A♣J♦J♣7♠
• One Pair — two cards of the same rank; e.g., 10♥10♣9♥4♦2♦
• High Card — five unmatched cards; e.g., A♣J♦10♠5♣2♥ would be called 'ace-high'

Players construct their hands by choosing the five best cards from the seven available (their two hole cards and the five community cards).

If the board is showing 9♣5♠K♦3♠A♥, a player with the two hole cards 9♠ would have two pair (aces and nines) and would lose to a player who has 9♦9♥ for three of a kind (three nines).

Learning hold'em poker begins with understanding how hands are dealt and the order of play as described above.

Of course, learning Texas hold'em rules is just the beginning, as the next step is to learn strategy which involves understanding what constitutes good starting hand selection, the odds and probabilities associated with the game, the significance of position and getting to act last during those post-flop betting rounds, and many other aspects of the game.

4. How to Play Texas Hold'em Games Online

Now that you know how Texas Hold'em works, it's time to put the theory into practice and play your first games.

The best way to start playing Texas Hold'em is to start from these free poker games available online and then move up to the real money action only when you feel comfortable enough to do so.

All the 'must-have poker rooms' below offer free games to practice online.

If you are completely new to the game, you should go for play money options, first. These risk-free games with fake money are an excellent way to familiarise with the different moments of play and the betting rounds.

The play money games are a great way to learn more about the hand rankings and begin to read the board fast enough to take all the right decisions at the right time.

After that, you should more to the poker freerolls. These are free poker tournaments with actual prizes on tap that range from free money to free entries into more expensive real money games.

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It is sometimes difficult to play and run a tournament. If you have some of the right products, it makes it a lot easier. This will allow you to focus more on playing. The keys to a successful tournament: being well organized, having good structure and using Quality Poker Supplies.

Tournament Supplies

The poker supplies that are used will have a big impact on the overall tournament experience. The use of quality supplies will make for “casino” like feel to your tournament.

Poker Chips

How many poker chips will you need to successfully host a tournament? Generally, you will want about 50-75 chips for each player. If you want to have a 20 person tournament you will need approximately 1000-1500 chips of the right color mix. You will need only four or five chip colors for tournaments of 40 players or less. You will need more of the lower denominations than you do of the higher denominations.

Here are the most common chip color denominations for home use chips:

• White - $1
• Red - $5
• Blue - $10
• Green - $25
• Black - $100
• Purple - $500
• Yellow - $1,000
• Pink - $5,000
• Orange - $10,000

Poker Chip Trays

Poker chip trays are extremely useful for handling and storing poker chips. At the beginning of the tournament they can be use to hold each players chips. This makes it easy to hand out the chips and assures that they are getting the right amount of chips. Chip trays also are helpful for carrying chips when a player has to move to another table.

Poker Tables

You will need to have enough seating for everyone. What you will need for tables will depend upon how many will be in your tournament. There is a wide variety and quality of tables that can be used. You need to make sure everyone has enough room. You may need to add an extra table. If you would like a quality table or multiple tables and it doesn't fit into your budget. You may want to learn how to build a poker table. This will save a significant amount of money.

Tournament Manager/Software

Using a tournament manager or tournament software helps you focus on playing and not as much on running the tournament. The software will make the tournament have that true casino tournament feel. Using this program will help you to just focus on the game and not worry about all of the details. The software does many things to assist you. Its main function will be to act as the tournament clock and count down the rounds and increase the blinds. The software will produce a random seating chart, so everyone knows where to sit. If you do have multiple tables it will move players as needed and tear down tables. Also it will keep track of who has paid and determine the prize payouts. All of these things are customizable to fit the needs of your tournament. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Other Tournament Accessories

There are some other things you may want to use in your tournament. Dealer buttons will keep track of who is dealing and where the blinds are. Use a good deck of playing cards. Make sure none of them are bent, torn or marked. It is always a good idea to have a few back up decks. Using 2 decks of playing cards can help speed up play. While one hand is going on the person to deal next can be shuffling the other deck. A playing card shuffler can also be used to help speed up the play or help those people who have never quite mastered the skill of card shuffling. If your tournament changes locations each time, try using a poker chip carrier case for transporting your chips.

Tournament Structure

Structure is the most important ingredient to a successful tournament. This includes how much to buy-in for, how many dollars in chips players start with, what the blinds start at and how much and fast should the rounds increase, how many places pay out, how much each place receives. What type of tournament are you going to play; limit, pot limit or no limit and whether you allow rebuys and/or add-on?

Buy-In Amount

Buy-in amount are always set by the comfort level of the people playing in the tournament.

Starting Chip Amount

How many dollars in chips should the players start with? Whether you want players to start with $100, $200, $1000, $5000, $10,000, it doesn’t really matter. This may depend on the quantity and color of chips that you have and the number of people are playing. Depending on your buy-in amount, you could have you starting chip amount the same as the buy-in.

Blinds

The blinds should start with the big blind being about 1% of the players starting chip amount. For example, if everyone starts with $5000 in chips than the big blind would start at $50 and the small blind $25.

Progression of Blinds

The one thing that will eventually make a tournament end is the blinds. Blinds continue to increase as the tournament progresses forcing people to play. The blinds should increase at an interval no bigger than double of the previous round.

Length of Rounds

How fast should the blinds increase? That depends upon the total number of players and the number of players per table. The more players the longer the rounds should be. A single table 6 person tournament could have 10-12 minute rounds, while a multi table 18-30 person tournament could have 20-30 minute rounds.

Generally speaking, the longer the rounds and the slower the blinds increase, the longer the tournament will last; this will reward skill. The shorter the rounds and the faster the blinds increase, the shorter the tournament will take; this will reward luck. You will want to find the right balance for your tournament.

A tournament will usually end during a round when the big blind reaches 5-10% of the total chip count. For example, a 20 person tournament with each person starting with $5000 will have a total chip count of $100,000. The tournament should end when the big blind is between $5000 and $10,000.

A 25 person tournament will usually last 3-4 hours.

Type of Tournament

Texas Holdem Rules Printable

A tournament where once you lose all your chips and you are eliminated is called a ‘freeze out’. An option that you can add to your tournament would be to allow rebuys and add-ons. A rebuy allows a person to buy back into the tournament if the get knocked out. An add-on is an option to purchase more chips. Rebuys usually take place during the first round, but can be extended to the second or third round. An add-on is usually bought at the end of the rebuy round(s). Rebuys and add-ons are normally the same cost as the tournament buy-in amount and get you the starting chip amount.

Prize Payouts

You will need to determine how many places pay out and how much each place receives. This once again is total up to you. You could have winner take all or you could spread the wealth to several spots. If you have 10 players, pay out the top 3 spots and for every 6 more players add another pay out spot. When paying multiple places, first place should normally receive 40%-50% of total prize pool. Very large tournaments (100+) generally pay the top 10%, with first place receiving 25-30% of the prize pool.

Tournament Organization

Organization is how the tournament is run. This includes things like how many chips people get, where they sit, how many at a table, timing the rounds, coloring up of chips,. If you are have a larger tournament with multiple tables then there is the moving of players and the closing of tables.

Texas Hold'em Tournament Rules Printable Worksheets

Starting Chips

When starting the tournament, make sure that each player has enough chips. Have at least 20 chips of smallest denomination. For example, when starting with $5000, your blinds start at $25-$50; have at least 20 green $25 chips. The reason for this is that a player won’t run out of the small denomination chips. A good starting amount could be 20 green ($500), 20 black ($2000) and 5 purple ($2500).

Seat Assignment

You will need to randomly assign seating to all players. Have each player draw for their seat assignment. Don’t allow players to pick their seats. Some players may want to sit on one side or the other of another player to get an advantage. You will also need to determine how many sit at each table. Give everyone enough room, don’t crowd them in. Add an extra table if you need too. Most large poker tables seat 8–10 players comfortably.

Multiple Tables

When playing with multiple tables, as players get knocked out, you will need to move players to balance the tables. As more players get knocked out you will need to close a table by moving all players from that table to other tables, until you eventually get to the final table

Tournament Clock

You will need to keep track of the timing of each round. Using some sort of a timer works well as the tournament clock.

Round Information

Have a “Round Chart” that shows how much the blinds will be each round and how many minutes the rounds last for. This will help to eliminate any confusion.

Chip Coloring Up

At certain points in the tournament you will want to color up chips. This will help reduce the amount of chips players have sitting in front of them. Coloring up is the exchanging of lower denomination chips for higher denomination chips. There will come a time when a color is no longer needed. For example, if you have green $25 chips in play and the blinds have now become $100 / $200, you can colors all the green chips up to black $100 chips. When you do color up some players will be left with extra chips. They may have 7 green chips, leaving them with an extra 3 green chips after coloring up.

You can handle these extra chips in one of three ways, chip elimination, chip rounding up, or chip race off.:

• Chip Elimination - the removal of all extra chips.
• Chip Rounding Up - turning of any extra chips into the next chip denomination.
• Chip Race Off - randomly determining which players get their extra chips colored up. Any player with extra chips is eligible to win a colored up chip. All of the extra chips are placed in front of the player. A player will receive one card for each chip that they have. The high card wins the chip.