Card game
Poker: rules and how to play
Two private cards, five shared cards and the best five-card hand.
- Players
- 2 to 10
- Cards
- One 52-card deck
- Goal
- Make the best five-card hand from seven cards
In Texas Hold'em every player gets two private cards, and five community cards are dealt face up in the middle. Your hand is the best five cards you can make from those seven.
How a hand is dealt
- Hole cards: two private cards to each player.
- Flop: three community cards turned face up together.
- Turn: a fourth community card.
- River: the fifth and final community card.
Poker is played with a round of betting between these stages. The player with the best five-card hand at the end wins the hand.
Hand rankings, highest to lowest
| # | Hand | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Straight flush | Five consecutive cards of one suit. Ace to ten of one suit is a royal flush. |
| 2 | Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank. |
| 3 | Full house | Three of one rank and two of another. |
| 4 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. |
| 5 | Straight | Five consecutive cards of mixed suits. |
| 6 | Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank. |
| 7 | Two pair | Two cards of one rank and two of another. |
| 8 | One pair | Two cards of the same rank. |
| 9 | High card | None of the above. The highest card decides. |
FAQ
Quick answers
How many cards make a poker hand?
Five. In Texas Hold'em you make your best five-card hand from your two private cards and the five community cards.
What are the flop, turn and river?
The flop is the first three community cards, the turn is the fourth and the river is the fifth.