Texas Hold 'Em Basics
CARD RANKINGS
To win a showdown in Texas Hold 'Em, your five-card hand must be ranked higher than those of your opponents. A look at what beats what, starting with the strongest hand:
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit (A ♠ K ♠ Q ♠ J ♠ 10 ♠ )
Straight Flush: Any five cards of the same suit in sequence (7 ♥ 6 ♥ 5 ♥ 4 ♥ 3 ♥ )
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same face value (K ♠ K ♣ K ♥ K ♦)
Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair (Q ♠ Q ♣ Q ♦ J ♠ J ♥)
Flush: Any five cards of the same suit (K ♠ 7 ♠ 10 ♠ A ♠ 4 ♠)
Straight: Any five cards in sequence (7 ♥ 6 ♣ 5 ♥ 4 ♠ 3 ♠)
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same face value (7 ♠ 7 ♣ 7 ♥)
Two Pair: Two sets of pairs, any suit (10 ♦ 10 ♣ 5 ♣ 5 ♥)
Pair: Two cards of the same face value (10 ♦ 10 ♣ )
High Card: Single highest value card
GLOSSARY
Limit: The maximum allowed bet or raise.
No-Limit Poker: When there is no limit to a player's maximum bet.
Pot-Limit Poker: When a player's maximum bet or raise cannot exceed the pot.
Dealer: The player issuing cards and monitoring the pot.
Button: The player in the dealer position.
Hole Cards: A player's two down cards.
Pot: The pool of chips at stake.
Stack: A player's chips.
Blind: A forced bet made before any cards are dealt.
Small Blind: Usually the player to the left of the dealer, required to bet a portion of the the big blind before any cards are dealt.
Big Blind: Usually two seats left of the dealer, required to place the minimum first-round bet before any cards are dealt.
Call: To match the most recent bet made.
Check: Assuming there has been no bet made, a player can "pass" by not betting with an option to call or raise later.
Raise: To increase the previous bet.
Burn Card: A discard before each deal.
Pre-Flop: Before any community cards are dealt, players bet based on their hole cards.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt and the second betting round.
Turn: The fourth community card dealt and the third betting round.
River: The final community card dealt and the final betting round.
Draw: To play a weak hand in hopes of receiving a needed card.
Bluff: To bet or raise on a weak hand to make other players believe it is strong.
Fold: To quit playing a hand.
All-In: When a player bets all of his or her chips.
RESOURCES
» More poker terms: PokerNews.com and PokerStars.com
