Welcome to the Netbettor Texas Hold'em Tutorial. If you already know the rules of the game, you should start at Lesson 2. The navigation bar to the right will help you work your way through the lessons and quizzes.

For the sake of simplicity, we have chosen to explain the rules that you will encounter playing Texas hold'em poker online.  These rules also apply to most Texas hold'em poker games you will encounter in brick and mortar casinos but there are a few variations (typically having to do with the blinds) that we won't go into here. If after reading the rules you are still unclear about how to play, sign up at one of our recommended online poker rooms. It is free to sign up and you can play with "play money" until you get the hang of it.

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED
The rules of Texas hold'em are simple to understand. At a full table, you will be playing with nine other players. After each deal, a small, circular puck (called the 'button') is passed from one player to the next, rotating clockwise. Since all online games feature a house dealer, the button indicates which player will be representing the dealer on each deal. The primary benefit of having the button is that you will be able to act last on all future betting rounds (except for the first betting round). Being able to act last is always an advantage in poker, since you will be able to see how much your opponents like their hands before you have to commit any money to the pot.

At the beginning of each hand, the player to the button's left is forced to post a blind bet (like an ante)called the "small blind". The size of the small blind depends on the limit of that particular game. In a $2/$4 game, the small blind is $1, half of the small bet which in this case is $2. In a $10/$20 game, a small blind is $5 (half of $10). The player that posts the small blind is also called the "small blind". Next, the player to the small blind's left posts a blind bet called the "big blind". The size of the big blind is double the amount of the small blind. This player is also called the "big blind".

Once the blinds are posted, each player is dealt two cards face down. The first player that must act is the player to the big blind's left. He has three options: he can fold, he can call a bet equal to the big blind, or he can raise to twice the big blind. These are his only options. After he has acted, the player to his left must act. If the first player raised, his only options are to fold, call the raise, or to reraise. All raising must be in increments of the size of the small bet. Every player acts after the player to his right acts, moving around the table clockwise. The last two people to act are the small blind and the big blind, respectively. The amount that these players have already put into the pot is considered 'live' money, which means it counts towards the amount that they must call in order to continue with the hand. So, in a $2/$4 game, if nobody has raised, the small blind need only put $1 into the pot to call. If the small blind folds, the money this person has already contributed towards the pot is forfeited. The same rules apply to the big blind as apply to the small blind, except that, if nobody has raised, the big blind can continue with the hand without having to put up any money other than the amount he already posted for his big blind.

After this first betting round has concluded, three cards are placed face-up in the middle of the table. This is called the "flop". All of the cards on the flop are community cards, which means all players who have not yet folded can use these cards to make their best five card poker hand. The betting round on the flop is essentially the same as the first betting round, with the bets coming in increments of one small bet at a time, except that here the player who was the small blind must act first (as opposed to the player to the left of the big blind, who acted first before the flop) and the player on the button gets to act last. After the flop betting round has concluded, a fourth community card is turned face-up. This card is called the "turn". The betting round here mirrors the betting round on the flop, in terms of who must act first and who acts last, except that now the bets have doubled in size. In a $2/$4 game, for example, the bets now come in increments of $4.

After the turn betting round, a fifth community card, called the "river", is turned face-up. The betting round on the river is exactly the same as the betting round on the turn, with bets coming in increments of the amount of the big bet. This is the last card of the hand. When the river betting round is finished all players still in the hand must turn their hands up, and make their best five card poker hands out of the seven cards available.  Texas hold 'em is a 'cards speak' game, which means the house dealer will declare your hand for you.

THE HIERARCHY OF HANDS
In case you haven't played any poker before, or just need a review, following is the hierarchy of hands. If you haven't already, you should memorize the hierarchy of hands. If you like you can print the Hierarchy of Hands Cheat Sheet for easy reference.

Straight Flush (all five cards are sequential in rank and of the same suit)	or
Four of a Kind (four of the five cards are of the same rank)
Full House (three of the five cards are of the same rank, and the other two are also equal each other in rank)
Flush (all five cards are of the same suit)
Straight (all five cards are sequential in rank)
Three of a Kind (three of the five cards are of the same rank)
Two Pair (two of the five cards are of the same rank, and another two are also equal each other in rank)
One Pair (two of the five cards are of the same rank)
High Card (in the case that none of the aforementioned hands are present, the person holding the highest card wins)

WHO WINS?
So what happens if two opponents both have a flush, for example, or both have a three-of-a-kind? In that case, the player with the higher flush, or higher three-of-a-kind wins. Here are a few examples to consider:

Straight Flush: A K Q J T is a higher hand than J T 9 8 7

Four of a Kind: 4 4 4 4 A is a higher hand than 4 4 4 4 K

Full House: J J 9 9 9 is a higher hand than Q Q 2 2 2

Flush: 2 7 9 T A is a higher hand than 3 8 J Q K

Straight: Q J T 9 8 is a higher hand than J T 9 8 7

Three of a Kind: 3 3 3 5 K is a higher hand than 3 3 3 5 Q

Because of the community cards, occasionally the best five card poker hand of two opponents will be equal. In that case, the opponents split the pot equally. it can often be difficult for beginners to know exactly what they have, and harder still to know when they are tied with another player. To this end, we suggest that all new players continue to the first quiz: QUIZ: Reading the Board.