How to play Texas Hold’em poker.

The setup

A Texas Hold’em table seats 2 to 9 players. One seat is marked with a dealer button that rotates clockwise after each hand. The two players to the left of the dealer post the small blind and big blind — small forced bets that start the action.

On Felt, the small blind is 5 chips and the big blind is 10 chips. You choose your starting stack when you host the game (500 to 100,000 chips).

A hand, step by step

1. Step 01

   Seat 2–9 players and post the blinds

   Every hand begins with two forced bets called the small blind (left of the dealer) and the big blind (one seat further left). They guarantee there's something to play for. In heads-up (2 players), the dealer posts the small blind and acts first pre-flop.

2. Step 02

   Deal hole cards

   Each player receives two private cards, called hole cards. Only that player can see them.

3. Step 03

   Pre-flop betting round

   Starting left of the big blind, each player chooses to fold, call (match the big blind), or raise. Action continues clockwise until everyone still in the hand has matched the current bet.

4. Step 04

   The flop — three community cards

   Three shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. A new betting round starts with the first active player left of the dealer.

5. Step 05

   The turn — a fourth community card

   One more shared card is added, followed by another betting round.

6. Step 06

   The river — a fifth community card

   The final shared card is dealt and the last betting round takes place. After this, surviving players go to showdown.

7. Step 07

   Showdown — best five-card hand wins

   Each remaining player makes their best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards. The strongest hand wins the pot. Tied hands split the pot evenly.

Betting actions

Side pots and all-in math

When a player goes all-in for fewer chips than the current bet, the pot splits into a main pot (which the all-in player can win) and a side pot (which they cannot). Side pots make sure short stacks never lose more than they put in, and bigger stacks can still play for more.

Felt handles side pots automatically — you don’t need to do any math at the table.

Winning the hand

There are two ways to win a Texas Hold’em hand:

• By fold-out: everyone else folds and you take the pot uncontested.
• At showdown: the remaining players reveal their hole cards, and the strongest five-card hand wins. See the poker hand rankings for the order of strength.

Tips for beginners

1. Play fewer hands, play them well. New players often call too much. Folding bad starting hands (low off-suit cards, mismatched suits) costs nothing and keeps you out of tough spots.
2. Position matters more than your cards. Acting last in a betting round (being “in position”) gives you more information than your opponents. Hands like K-9 are much stronger on the button than under the gun.
3. Don’t bluff just to bluff. Bluffs work when there’s a credible story behind them. Betting into four players who all checked the flop is rarely a winning play. Bluff less often and make it count.
4. Pay attention to the community cards. Before you bet, ask: what hands does this board make possible? Three of the same suit on the flop means someone could have a flush. A paired board means full houses are in play.
5. Manage your stack relative to the blinds. If your stack drops below 20 big blinds, your options narrow. Shallower stacks call for tighter, more decisive play — either fold or go all-in rather than calling off big chunks.

Poker terms glossary