The basics
Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker game in the world. Two to nine players sit at a table. Each player gets two private cards (hole cards), and five shared cards (the board) are dealt face up in the middle. You make the best five-card hand from any combination of your two cards and the five on the board.
You win a hand in one of two ways: everyone else folds, or you have the best hand at the showdown after the last betting round. The chips everyone bets go into the pot, and the winner takes it.
MyGameZone tables play no-limit Hold'em: at any moment you may bet every chip in front of you. That is the famous all-in.
Dealer button and blinds
A round dealer button moves one seat to the left after every hand. The two players to its left post forced bets before any cards are dealt:
- Small blind: the first player to the left of the button, usually half the big blind.
- Big blind: the next player, the table's base bet. A table named 50/100 has a 50-chip small blind and a 100-chip big blind.
The blinds make sure there is always something to play for. Because the button moves, everyone pays them in turn.
The four betting rounds
- Preflop. Everyone gets two hole cards. The player left of the big blind acts first: fold, call the big blind or raise.
- Flop. Three board cards are dealt face up. From now on the first active player left of the button acts first.
- Turn. A fourth board card, and another betting round.
- River. The fifth and last board card, then the final betting round. If two or more players are left, they show their cards and the best hand wins.
Your options when it is your turn
- Check: pass without betting, possible only when nobody has bet in this round.
- Bet: put the first chips into this round.
- Call: match the current bet.
- Raise: increase the current bet; everyone else must call it, raise again or fold.
- Fold: give up your cards and any chips you have already put in.
A betting round ends when every player still in the hand has put in the same amount (or is all-in). If someone is all-in and nobody can bet any more, the remaining board cards are simply dealt out.
Poker hand rankings
From strongest to weakest. When two players have the same kind of hand, the higher cards win (a pair of kings beats a pair of queens), and the remaining cards (kickers) break ties. Suits never decide a winner: equal hands split the pot.
| # | Hand | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | A, K, Q, J, 10 of one suit. Wins the MEGA JACKPOT on MyGameZone. |
| 2 | Straight flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five cards in a row, all of one suit. |
| 3 | Four of a kind | A♠ A♥ A♦ A♣ K♠ | Four cards of the same rank (quads). Four aces win the table's 4 ACES jackpot. |
| 4 | Full house | K♠ K♥ K♣ 7♦ 7♠ | Three of a kind plus a pair. |
| 5 | Flush | A♣ J♣ 8♣ 6♣ 2♣ | Any five cards of one suit. |
| 6 | Straight | 10♦ 9♠ 8♥ 7♣ 6♠ | Five cards in a row of mixed suits. The ace can be high (A-K-Q-J-10) or low (5-4-3-2-A). |
| 7 | Three of a kind | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 9♣ 4♠ | Three cards of the same rank. |
| 8 | Two pair | J♥ J♣ 5♠ 5♦ A♠ | Two different pairs. |
| 9 | One pair | 10♠ 10♥ K♣ 8♦ 3♠ | Two cards of the same rank. |
| 10 | High card | A♦ J♠ 9♣ 6♥ 2♠ | No combination: the highest card plays. |
Omaha: the four-card cousin
Omaha is played like Hold'em, with the same blinds, betting rounds and hand rankings. The differences:
- Each player gets four hole cards instead of two.
- You must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three board cards. Four hearts in your hand and one on the board is not a flush.
With more cards, big hands come more often, so a hand that is strong in Hold'em can be only average in Omaha. MyGameZone has Omaha tables next to the Hold'em tables in the lobby.
Tips for beginners
- Play fewer hands. Pairs, two high cards (A-K, A-Q, K-Q) and suited aces are good starting hands. Folding weak hands is the quickest way to improve.
- Position matters. Acting last (on or near the button) lets you see what others do first. Play more hands late, fewer early.
- Raise rather than call. A raise can win the pot straight away; a call can only win at the showdown.
- Watch the board. Three cards of one suit on the board means a flush is possible; connected cards mean straights.
- Choose your stakes. Buy in at a table where you have plenty of chips left in your balance, so one bad hand does not end your session.
Texas Hold'em on MyGameZone
All four MyGameZone games are free to play in your browser, with Hold'em and Omaha cash tables from micro blinds to high-roller and members-only VIP tables. At every table you will also find:
- Progressive jackpots: four aces win the table's 4 ACES jackpot, a royal flush wins the game-wide MEGA JACKPOT, and when four of a kind or better loses at showdown, the BAD BEAT JACKPOT is shared by the loser, the winner and the rest of the table.
- All-in runout: when the betting is over, the all-in hands are turned face up and the board is dealt card by card with each player's chance to win.
- Show or muck: after a hand you decide whether to show your cards; Auto muck is in the settings.
- Animated dealers Anna and Victor (Social Poker Holdem and Global Poker), the dealer's tip jar and the Double Pot hand when the jar breaks.
- Spin'n'go: three-player games with a random prize multiplier. How Spin'n'go works.
Texas Hold'em FAQ
Is Texas Hold'em hard to learn?
No. The rules fit on one page: two private cards, five shared cards and four betting rounds. Learning the hand rankings above is enough to start playing at a free table today.
What beats what in poker?
From the top: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. A flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush.
Do I have to use both of my hole cards?
Not in Texas Hold'em. Your hand is the best five of the seven cards available, so you can use both, one or none of your hole cards. In Omaha you must use exactly two.
What happens when two players have the same hand?
The kickers decide. If the five best cards are equal, the pot is split. Suits never break a tie.
Can I play Texas Hold'em online for free?
Yes. All four MyGameZone games are free to play in the browser, with free chips when you join and a daily bonus. They are for fun only: there is no real money gambling and chips have no cash value. 18+.
