Texas Hold’em is a variation of the standard card game of Poker. Two cards are dealt face down to each player and then five community cards are dealt in multiple stages face-up, placed in front of the dealer.

The stages consist of a series of three cards (the flop), later an additional single card (the turn) and a final card (the river). The object is to make the best 5-card hand possible, using any combination of your 2 cards and the 5 community cards. Depending on how strong your hand is, you can bet, call, and raise during the 4 rounds of betting: pre-flop, flop, turn and the river.

The best hand after all betting rounds are complete wins the pot or if you get everyone else to fold their cards first you will win the hand.


Pre-flop
Players each receive two "hole cards," dealt clockwise starting to the left of the dealer button. Each player's hole cards are solely his own, and no other players can see them.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer button must post the Small Blind, typically half of the minimum bet, and the player to his left must post the Big Blind, the minimum bet. The Small Blind and Big Blind are forced bets that are made at the start of each hand before cards are dealt.

Action begins to the left of the player in the Big Blind, who can choose to fold, call the amount of the Big Blind, or raise. Each subsequent player's options depends on the actions that have taken place before it became his turn. At all times players must put at least the lesser between their total chip stack and the amount that the most recent better put into the pot in order to continue in the hand (otherwise they must fold). To raise, players must raise at least the size of the most recent bet during a betting round. Once all players have called the most recent bet or folded, the round is complete.

All games on HD Poker are played with table stakes; players can only bet the amount they have at the table.

Post-flop
Once the preflop betting round has completed, three "streets" are played:

1) Three community cards are dealt face-up; this is called "the flop." A round of betting takes place.
2) An additional community card, "the turn," is dealt face up, followed by another round of betting.
3) A final community card, "the river," is dealt face up, followed by the final round of betting.

Each round of betting begins to the left of the dealer button and rotates around the table until all players have called the most recent bet or folded. If all players with cards check, the next round is dealt with no additional chips entering the pot. If all players check on the final round, the hand reaches showdown (see below).

Players may sometimes act multiple times in a single round of betting before an additional street is dealt, depending on the actions that take place.

Showdown
After all action in a hand has concluded, all players who still have cards will compare their hands, and the best hand receives the pot. This stage of the hand is called the "showdown." A player's hand is determined by taking the 5-card combination between the player's 2 hole cards and the 5 community cards that creates the best poker hand.

If two or more players hold hands of equal value, and that those hands are the best between all players who reached showdown, the pot is evenly divided between those players.

Once the pot has been awarded, the button moves one seat to the left and a new hand is dealt.

All-In - To bet or call by putting all of your chips in the pot. If you do this, other players can still raise, and you can still win the pot at the end.

Bet - To be the first person to voluntarily put chips in the hand. Other players must call to continue to play in the hand.

Buy-In - The buy-in is the money you need to join a game, which gives you your seat and a certain number of chips. There is always a minimum buy-in, which you’ll need to factor in when budgeting if you decide to participate in the Sit-N-Go tournaments.

Call - To put into the pot an amount of money equal to the most recent bet or raise. If you do not call when a bet or raise has been made before you, you cannot continue to play in the hand.

Call Any - To put into the pot an amount of money equal to whatever the highest raise is.

Check - You do not need to bet any more chips to stay in the hand. This just passes to action the next player.

Chips - Currency used to play poker against other players. Chips can also be used to purchase special items like customizing your avatar or buying unique gifts (or taunts) for other players at the table.

Fold - To stop playing the current hand. You give up all of your chips in the pot and cannot win the hand.

Gems - Used to unlock premium avatars, poker backgrounds, and keys for chests.

Pot - The chips that you and other players have contributed. The winner(s) of the hand will win the pot.

Raise - To increase the amount of the current bet.

Rake - A small percentage of chips taken out of each pot for administrative purposes. This only applies to Hold'em games, not Tournaments, Sit-N-Gos, etc.

Bet/Raise Option 1/2 - To bet an amount of chips equal to 1/2 of the current pot.

Bet/Raise option 3/4 - To bet an amount of chips that is equal to 3/4 of the current pot.

Bet/Raise option Pot - To bet an amount of chips that is equal to the current pot.

Bet/Raise option Confirm - This means that you are confirming the bet amount. If you don't do this quickly, you may run out of time!