Texas Hold’em itself is a variation of Poker except that rather than being given all the cards in your hand you are given two along with a total of five “community cards” [Once you get the hang of standard Poker/Texas Hold’em there are a host of other variations]. There are three Standard Types of Texas Hold ‘Em: Limit (the bets have a predetermined cap that cannot be passed), No Limit (self-explanatory, players can bet any amount they have), and Pot Limit (players can only raise to the amount equal in the “pot”)

Supplies: Standard 52 card deck of cards (without Jokers), Nearest Table, Poker Chips (optional)

Terms:

Deck- The 52 cards that come in the pack (excluding jokers and rule cards). 4 suits with 13 cards each

Suits- There are 4 suits in every deck Spades (Black), Clubs (Black), Diamonds (Red), and Hearts (Red)

Rank- Cards are ranked numerically 2-10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace (aces can either be the highest or the lowest card (sometimes both) depending on the rule set you use)

Deal- At the beginning of each hand when the cards are dealt to each player

Hand- The cards in your hand or the round you are playing (used interchangeably)

Dealer- Deals the cards each round, can rotate if desired (typically also plays the hand)

Cutting the deck- Non-dealer lifts a portion of the deck and puts in directly next to the deck, then takes the original part of the deck and puts it on top of the other stack

Burn- (Optional for dealer) to burn a card is to discard it from the top of the deck and drawing the next, the post-burn cards are added to the community pile. Good show of trust to make players know you aren’t cheating

Bluff- Trying to get other players to fold when you don’t have a strong hand

Chips/Betting- The currency used when gambling. Sometimes chips with a designated/arbitrary value associated. Other times it’s pocket change or dollar bills

Pot- Total sum of money being bet

Check- To continue w/o betting additional funds

Match- To pay in or “match” the opening bet (made by the “big blind”)

Bet- Opening bet of a round (typically the minimum bet) *minimum can be decided by the dealer

Call- Match the bet of player who raised or the big blind (depends on where in the hand the player is)

Raise- Increase the amount of money being bet

Re-Raise- To raise again during a betting step (when it become your turn again)

Fold- To either sit out a round or give up when refusing to call/check. *If you have cards you slide them to the dealer *If you have bet money/chips prior to folding that money stays in the “pot”

“All In”- In a No Limit game (see below) a player can announce they are “all in” they then raise to the money they have remaining

Small/Big Blind (or “blind bets”)- At the start of each hand these people (sometimes designated by chips) are either required to make the starting bet or fold before the cards are dealt. Big blind typically pays in the minimum bet and the small blind pays in half that. Small blind is just to the left of the dealer, big blind left of small blind

Flop- The three community cards placed on the table during a hand

Fourth Street/Turn- The fourth community card

Fifth Street/River- The final (fifth) community card

Showdown- At end of the round when all players (who have not folded) reveal their cards and determine a winner

Stand- To leave the game

Winning Hands (in order)-
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 (all of the same suit, Ace can be high or low)

Straight Flush: Five sequential cards (all of the same suit, Ace can be high or low)

Four-of-a-Kind: Same card in all suits (eg: Ace of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs)

Full House: Three of a kind, and one pair (eg: Ace of Diamond, Spades, and Clubs + 10 of Hearts and Clubs )

Flush: Any five cards all in the same suit (do not have to be sequential)

Straight: Five cards in sequence (but in varying suits) Three-of-a-kind: Three of the same card (in different suits)

Two Pair: One pair of the same card in two different suits (twice) (eg: King of Hearts and Diamonds + Jack of Clubs and Diamonds)

Pair: One pair of cards in two different suits (eg: 2 of Clubs and Hearts)

High Card: If no player has a hand above, person holding the single highest ranked card wins

Step 1: Choose Dealer

Choose “dealer”. Have dealer shuffle and cut the deck, then deal 2 cards per person(face down).

*Each player then looks at their own cards

Step 2: The Flop

Dealer “burns” a card, then places 3 cards in the center of the table face down (“flop”)

Step 3: Bets

Each player “bets” (starting to the left of the dealer, after "blinds" pay in) on whether they can win the round based on the cards they have in their “hand” combined with the cards in the “flop”. (If they don’t think they can win the round, they “fold”). Bets go out for the “pot”.

*In a no money game, say in (play) or out (”fold”)

*At any point in the game if all but one player folds, that last player in wins the “pot”

Step 4: The Reveal

The dealer reveals the “flop”

Step 5: Decision

Each player decides whether to “check”, “call”, “raise” or “fold” based on all cards available to them

(in a game with no money or chips just call or fold)

*If all players fold, return to step 1

*At any point in the game if all but one player folds, that last player in wins the “pot”

Step 6: Fourth Street

Dealer deals “Fourth Street/Turn”- Each player decides whether to “check”, “call”, “raise” or “fold” based on all cards available to them

(in a game with no money or chips just call or fold)

*At any point in the game if all but one player folds, that last player in wins the “pot”

Step 7: Fifth Street

Dealer deals “Fifth Street/River”- Each player decides whether to “check”, “call”, “raise” or “fold” based on all cards available to them

(in a game with no money or chips just call or fold)

*At any point in the game if all but one player folds, that last player in wins the “pot”

Step 8: Showdown

“Showdown”- All players reveal the 2 cards in their hand in combination with the community cards. Refer to Winning Hands list to decide winner of the round (all players should announce the hand they have (if applicable) and other players will look to confirm)