BEGINNER LAB

The absolute fundamentals of No Limit Texas Hold'em.

RULES

1. Hand Rankings

In Texas Hold'em, you combine your 2 hole cards with the 5 community cards to make the best possible 5-card hand. Here are the rankings from highest to lowest:

  • 1 Royal Flush A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit. The unbeatable hand.
  • 2 Straight Flush Five cards in a sequence, all of the same suit (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts).
  • 3 Four of a Kind Four cards of the same rank (e.g., four Aces).
  • 4 Full House Three of a kind combined with a pair (e.g., three 10s and two 7s).
  • 5 Flush Any five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
  • 6 Straight Five cards in a sequence, but not of the same suit.
  • 7 Three of a Kind Three cards of the same rank.
  • 8 Two Pair Two different pairs (e.g., two Kings and two 8s).
  • 9 One Pair Two cards of the same rank.
  • 10 High Card When you have none of the above, the highest single card plays.
STRATEGY

2. Table Positions (6-Max)

Position is the most important concept in poker. Acting *after* your opponents gives you "positional advantage" because you get to see what they do before making your decision. Here is the layout of a standard 6-player online table:

Under the Gun (UTG) EARLY POSITION
The first player to act before the flop. This is the worst position at the table, so you should only play your absolute strongest hands from here.
Hijack (HJ) MIDDLE POSITION
Acts after UTG. You have a slightly better position, allowing you to open your starting hand range just a bit more.
Cutoff (CO) & Button (BTN) LATE POSITION
The golden seats. The Button is the best position in poker because you act last on every betting round after the flop. You should play the majority of your hands from these two seats.
Small Blind (SB) & Big Blind (BB) THE BLINDS
These players are forced to put money in the pot before the cards are dealt. After the flop, they must act *first*, making them very difficult positions to play from.
GAMEPLAY

3. The Flow of the Game

A hand of Texas Hold'em is divided into four distinct betting rounds. If at any point all players fold except for one, that player wins the pot immediately.

1. Preflop

Everyone is dealt 2 private hole cards. The first betting round takes place based only on the strength of these two cards.

2. The Flop

The dealer places 3 community cards face-up in the middle of the table. A second betting round begins.

3. The Turn

A 4th community card is dealt face-up. The pot is getting bigger, and the third betting round takes place.

4. The River

The 5th and final community card is dealt. The final betting round occurs. If two or more players remain, they show their cards (Showdown).