Understanding Hold'em

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How to play Texas Hold’em from the beginning

Texas Hold’em gives each player two private hole cards and deals five shared community cards. Follow one animated hand from preflop to showdown and learn when every card appears.

How to play Texas Hold’em from the beginning

Use the animation above to reveal cards and make each decision yourself.

Key terms

Hole cards
Two private cards visible only to their owner.
Community cards
Five board cards shared by every player.
Showdown
The point where remaining players reveal and compare their best five cards.

Animation walkthrough

  1. Who wins this hand?Both players’ hole cards and all five community cards are visible.
  2. You do not use all seven cardsEach player compares the strongest five cards available from two hole cards and five community cards.
  3. The hand starts with two private cards eachHole cards are private to each player. No shared cards are visible yet.
  4. Flop: the first three shared cards9♣ 6♦ 5♥ appear together. Every player at the table may use these three cards.
  5. Turn: the fourth community cardK♣ is added. Four community cards are now visible in the middle of the table.
  6. River: the final community cardThe final 2♠ completes the five-card community board.
  7. Players act between each stagePlayers get a chance to act between hole cards, flop, turn, and river. The next lesson explains those actions.
  8. You understand Hold'em's card flowNext, learn which actions are available between those card stages.

Common beginner mistakes

  • You do not have to use both hole cards; sometimes the board itself is the best five-card hand.
  • The flop has three community cards; the turn and river add one card each.
  • Not every hand reaches showdown; if everyone else folds, the remaining player wins the pot immediately.

Frequently asked questions

How many private cards does each player receive?

Each player receives two private hole cards.

What are the flop, turn, and river?

The flop is the first three community cards, the turn is the fourth, and the river is the fifth.

How is the winner determined?

Among players who have not folded, the strongest five-card hand wins the pot.