What Makes Texas Hold'em So Addictive?
Texas Hold'em took over the world for a reason. The rules are simple enough to learn in an afternoon, but the strategy runs deep enough to keep you studying for years. Two hole cards, five community cards, four rounds of betting. That's the whole game on paper. But knowing what beats what, understanding who acts first, and avoiding the traps that quietly bleed beginners dry? That's where most people fall short — and exactly what this guide covers.
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings: All 10 Hands, Ranked Strong to Weak
Memorize these before you sit down at any table. Every call, raise, and fold traces back to knowing exactly where your hand stands.
1. Royal Flush
The best hand in poker, no exceptions. A, K, Q, J, 10 all in the same suit. It cannot be beaten.
Example
A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
2. Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards, all the same suit. When two players both make a straight flush, the one with the higher top card wins.
Example
7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ J♥
3. Four of a Kind (Quads)
Four cards of the same rank. When this lands, you're almost always the best hand at the table.
Example
K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 3♠
4. Full House
Three of a kind plus a pair. If two players both have a full house, the higher three-of-a-kind rank decides the winner.
Example
Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♣ 7♥
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. Ties are broken by the highest card, then the second-highest, and so on down the line.
Example
A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦
6. Straight
Five consecutive cards in mixed suits. The Ace is flexible here — it plays high in A-K-Q-J-10, or low in A-2-3-4-5 (called the "wheel").
Example
5♠ 6♥ 7♦ 8♣ 9♠
7. Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank. When you hold a pocket pair and one matching card hits the board, that's called a "set" — one of the trickiest hands to play against because it's so well hidden.
Example
J♠ J♥ J♦ 6♣ 2♠
8. Two Pair
Two separate pairs. Tiebreakers go to the highest pair first, then the lower pair, then the Kicker.
Example
9♠ 9♥ 4♦ 4♣ K♠
9. One Pair
Two cards of the same rank. Despite how modest it sounds, this is the most common winning hand in Texas Hold'em.
Example
A♠ A♦ K♣ 8♥ 3♠
10. High Card
No combination at all. The pot goes to whoever holds the highest card. If that ties, move to the next card down.
Example
A♠ J♥ 8♦ 5♣ 2♠
Blinds Explained: Why Two Players Bet Before Seeing a Single Card
Before any cards hit the table, two players are already in for money. These forced bets are called Blinds, and they serve one purpose: making sure every hand has something worth fighting for from the very start.
The Button (Dealer)
Marked by a small disc labeled "D," the Button rotates clockwise after every hand. Whoever sits on the Button acts last in every post-flop betting round, meaning they get to watch everyone else commit chips before deciding anything. It's the most powerful seat at the table.
Small Blind (SB)
The player sitting directly left of the Button. Posts a forced bet equal to half the Big Blind. Acts near-last preflop, but becomes one of the first to act on every street after that — a clear positional disadvantage.
Big Blind (BB)
One seat to the left of the Small Blind. Posts one full Big Blind. The BB has one notable preflop privilege: if nobody raises before the action gets back around, they can check and see the Flop at no additional cost, since their blind already counts as a call.
In a $1/$2 game: SB posts $1, BB posts $2.
The 4 Betting Rounds in Texas Hold'em
Every hand follows the same four-stage structure without exception.
Round 1: Preflop
Two hole cards are dealt face-down to each player. Action starts left of the Big Blind and moves clockwise. Options are call, raise, or fold. The SB and BB act last in this round since they've already put chips in.
Round 2: The Flop
Three community cards are flipped face-up in the center of the table, available for every player to use. Action begins with the first active player left of the Button. If nobody bets yet, players can check to pass the action without spending chips.
Round 3: The Turn
A fourth community card is revealed. Same betting order as the Flop. This is where pots tend to get serious, and where many of the biggest decisions get made.
Round 4: The River
The fifth and final community card. Last chance to bet before the showdown. Once River betting wraps up, remaining players reveal their hands. The best five-card combination built from any mix of hole cards and community cards takes the pot.
Beginner Mistakes That Are Actually Costing You Money
Mistake 1: Misunderstanding the Kicker
This one quietly costs new players more chips than almost anything else. You both have a pair of Aces — who wins?
It comes down to the Kicker: the highest unpaired card in your hand that isn't part of the main combination.
Your hole cards: A♠ K♣
Opponent's hole cards: A♥ Q♦
Board: A♦ 7♣ 2♠ 9♥ 3♦
Both players have three Aces. But your King Kicker outranks their Queen. You win. Simple enough — until the board changes the picture. If K♦ is already sitting on the board and both players' best five-card hands use that same community King, the Kicker calculation shifts entirely. Always build the full best five-card hand before assuming you're ahead.
Mistake 2: Not Reading the Board
Beginners fixate on their own hole cards and miss what the community cards are doing for everyone else. Four cards of the same suit on the board? Any opponent holding even one matching card has made a Flush.
Mistake 3: Playing Too Wide Preflop
Pocket Jacks feel exciting. 7-2 offsuit is almost always a fold. Tightening up Preflop hand selection is one of the fastest, most direct ways to stop leaking chips.
Mistake 4: Underestimating Position
A hand worth playing on the Button might be an easy fold from early position. The later you act in a round, the more information you have — and the same cards genuinely play stronger from better position. Position isn't just a concept worth knowing about. It should actively change how you play every single hand.
