How to Play Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker variant in the world. Each player receives two private cards and shares five community cards to make the best five-card hand. This guide covers everything you need to sit down at your first table.
The Goal
Win chips by either making the best five-card hand at showdown, or by getting all other players to fold before showdown. You can use any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards.
Hand Rankings (Best to Worst)
| Hand | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A-K-Q-J-10, all same suit | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ |
| Straight Flush | Five consecutive cards, same suit | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank | K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 3♠ |
| Full House | Three of a kind + a pair | J♠ J♥ J♦ 9♣ 9♠ |
| Flush | Any five cards of the same suit | A♣ J♣ 8♣ 5♣ 2♣ |
| Straight | Five consecutive cards, mixed suits | 7♠ 6♥ 5♦ 4♣ 3♠ |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 8♣ 4♠ |
| Two Pair | Two different pairs | A♠ A♥ 7♦ 7♣ K♠ |
| One Pair | Two cards of the same rank | 10♠ 10♣ A♦ 8♥ 3♣ |
| High Card | No made hand — highest card wins | A♠ J♦ 8♣ 6♥ 2♠ |
Ace can play high (above King) or low (below 2) in straights only.
How a Hand Plays Out
The Blinds
Before any cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer button post forced bets called the small blind and big blind. This creates action and a pot to fight for. The button rotates clockwise each hand so everyone shares the blind obligation equally.
Pre-Flop
Each player is dealt two private cards (hole cards), face down. Action starts with the player to the left of the big blind and goes clockwise. Each player can fold (discard their hand and forfeit), call (match the big blind), or raise (increase the bet). In No-Limit Hold'em, you can raise any amount up to your full chip stack.
The Flop
Three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. Remaining players can now check (pass the action without betting), bet, call, raise, or fold.
The Turn
A fourth community card is dealt. Another round of betting. This is where draws either hit or miss.
The River
The fifth and final community card is dealt. The last betting round. If multiple players remain, the hand goes to showdown.
Showdown
Players reveal their hole cards. The player who makes the best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards wins the pot. Ties split the pot equally.
How SPN Cash Games Work
No rake from the pot. SPN uses a tick-fee model — a flat seat fee per minute rather than a percentage taken from each pot. The winning player keeps every chip.
Buy in, cash out anytime. Cash games are not sit-and-go tournaments. You can sit down with chips, play as long as you like, and cash out at any time between hands.
All-in protection. If you go all-in, you can only win up to your stack size from each opponent. Side pots are created automatically.
Disconnection protection. If you lose your connection during a hand, you are put all-in for the chips you've already committed. A side pot continues without you.