A Comprehensive Texas Hold’em Guide

Start Playing Texas Hold’em Online

Our experts have identified the top four sites for anyone interested in playing Texas Hold’em games online. Bovada, BetOnline, and SportsBetting.ag offer Hold’em tournaments and cash games, plus poker-style casino games. MyBookie purely focuses on Texas Hold’em games that are played against the house, whereby the results are powered by Random Number Generators (RNG).

Texas Hold’em Guide

Texas Hold’em exploded in popularity after online qualifier Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker main event 2003. The unassuming accountant paid just $86 to enter a satellite tournament, and he eventually walked off with a $2.5 million payout. His exploits inspired millions of people to play Texas Hold’em, and it is now the most popular poker variant.

This game is simpler than Omaha and 7 Card Stud, so it is ideal for beginners and casual players. Elite players like Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey display remarkable levels of skill when playing Texas Hold’em, but you don’t need to be a pro to enjoy it. Just follow the steps laid out below.

Texas Hold’em Objective

You will receive two hole cards, which are hidden from the other players. Five community cards will be dealt face up on the table. The objective of Texas Hold’em is to create the best possible five-card poker hand using a combination of your hole cards and the five community cards.

How to Play Texas Hold’em

A round of Texas Hold’em can be divided into six stages: blinds, pre-flop, the flop, the turn, the river, and the final showdown. Let’s explore each of those stages.

Blinds

Most Texas Hold’em games use blinds to stimulate the action. Blinds are forced bets, which you are required to place when it’s your turn.

If you play poker with your friends, the role of the dealer will rotate clockwise around the table after each hand. When you play online, a dealer button indicates which player would be the dealer if the game were being played in a physical setting. At the start of each hand:

• The player sitting immediately to the left of the dealer places a small blind. 
• Whoever is sitting to the left of that player then places a large blind.

The large blind is usually twice the size of the small blind. For example, the small blind might be $5, and the large blind would then be $10.

Pre-Flop

When the blinds have been posted, each player will be dealt two hole cards face down. You can examine your cards to analyze the strength of your hand.

The players then take it in turns to make their plays. You have three options at the pre-flop stage:

• Call – match the big blind.
• Raise – increase the bet.
• Fold – discard your hand and forfeit the round.

The player sitting to the left of the big blind begins. Betting continues clockwise until all players have either folded or called the highest bet.

The Flop

Three community cards are then dealt face up in the middle of the table. They are known as community cards, as each player can use them in conjunction with his or her unique hole cards to create a five-card poker hand.

Another round of betting then occurs, starting with the player directly to the left of the dealer. Once again, you can call, raise or fold.

The Turn

After the flop, one more community card is dealt face up on the table. This card is known as the turn or the fourth street. Another round of betting then takes place.

The River

When the turn betting round has concluded, a fifth community card is dealt face up on the table. A final round of betting then takes place, giving each remaining player the chance to call, raise or fold.

Showdown

If more than one player remains after the final round of betting, a showdown takes place. The players reveal their hole cards, and whoever has the best five-card hand wins the pot. If two or more players have the same hand, the pot is split evenly among them.

Texas Hold’em Hand Rankings

In Texas Hold’em, the goal is to compile the best possible hand. These are the different hands, ranked from best to worst:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

Texas Hold’em Tournaments and Cash Games

The best online poker rooms host Texas Hold’em tournaments and cash games:

Tournaments

You will pay a set fee to enter a Texas Hold’em tournament. The money goes into a prize pool, and the site takes a cut for hosting the action. The remainder is divided among the best performing players. The winner takes home the lion’s share of the prize purse.

Each player then receives an identical stack of chips. The goal is to earn as many chips as possible as the tournament unfolds. There are Sit & Go tournaments, multi-table tournaments and various other tournaments.

Cash Games

In a cash game, you buy in for a certain amount of money and receive a corresponding stack of chips. You can buy more chips at any time. There is no specific payout structure, as you can simply win or lose real money on each hand. At any point, you can cash out your chips and leave the game.

Texas Hold’em Betting Structure

Texas Hold’em can be divided into three main categories:

• Limit Hold’em | There are fixed bet and raise sizes for each round. For example, in a $1/$2 limit game, bets and raises are typically $1 in the early rounds and $2 in later rounds.
• Pot Limit Hold’em | In this format, the maximum bet amount is limited to the current size of the pot. You can bet or raise any amount up to the total chips in the pot at the time of their action.
• No Limit Hold’em | There are no limits on the amount you can bet or raise. This format allows for the greatest level of strategic depth, as you can exert pressure on your opponents by placing large wagers or going all-in.

Playing Texas Hold’em Against the House

Some online casinos allow you to play poker-style games against the house. For example, you can play Caribbean Hold’em at Bovada Casino and Bonus Hold’em at BetOnline Casino.

These games also require you to create the best possible five-card poker hand using your two hole cards and the five community cards. However, you do not need to bluff or outwit any rival players. You are simply rewarded if you have a better hand than the dealer. Some hands can lead to large payouts, such as a Royal Flush.

Where to Play Texas Hold’em Online

There aren’t many online poker sites that are available throughout the US, so these offshore poker rooms are the best on our list. They offer multiple table features, games for low and high-stakes players, and compatibility with most devices.

Bovada

Bovada is the busiest online poker room in the United States. It offers greater liquidity and higher traffic than any rival sites, and it guarantees $2 million in weekly prize pools. You can compete in a busy schedule of poker tournaments and cash games, and you can also play Hold’em-inspired table games against the house.

[Play at Bovada] [Read Our Review]

BetOnline

BetOnline allows you to compete in a wide array of poker tournaments and cash games, with broad limits available. There is also a virtual Hold’em game, plus live dealer games for Hold’em fans. The site also offers a ton of bonuses, including a 100% poker welcome bonus, weekly leaderboards and bad beat jackpots.

[Play at BetOnline] [Read Our Review]

MyBookie

MyBookie is the best site for anyone that likes playing poker-style games against the house. It hosts Casino Hold’em, Texas Hold’em, Bonus Texas Hold’em and Big Rollover Poker Hold’em, plus loads of other poker-inspired table games.

[Play at MyBookie] [Read Our Review]

SportsBetting.ag

SportsBetting.ag is part of the Chico Poker network, along with BetOnline and Tiger Gaming. The site hosts dozens of Hold’em games and tournaments each day. Players can also benefit from same day payouts, competitive rake fees, large bonuses and a strong rewards program at SportsBetting.ag.

[Play at SportsBetting.ag] [Read Our Review]

Please Gamble Responsibly

It is important to gamble responsibly when playing Texas Hold’em online. Even the world’s best poker players cannot guarantee success, and there is a major element of chance in this game, so you should never play with money you cannot afford to lose.If you find you are playing more frequently than you would like to, and you are struggling to cut down, that could be a sign of a gambling addiction. You can visit these sites for help and support:

Texas Hold’em Online Summary

The best way to hone your Texas Hold’em skills is to practice the game. The best gambling sites run freeroll tournaments, which allow you to compete for free. If you win, you can earn cash prizes, free spins in the online casino, or free tickets to enter paid tournaments.

You will soon learn when to play tight and when to bet more aggressively. The best players learn to keep their emotions in check, while exploiting the emotions of their rivals, displaying poise and patience en route to victory.

The best online poker room for beginners is Bovada. The site has an anonymous tables feature, which saves you from falling prey to the experienced sharks, and you can always find low-stakes games, which allow you to gain vital experience. Click the link provided on this page to visit the site and claim your welcome bonus now.