Loading...Poker Rules
Read More
Online Bonus
-
Massive value $15,000 Aussie Millions satellite at Party Poker
Read More -
Exclusive $15,000 cash freeroll at Titan Poker
Read More -
Exclusive $650 Titan Poker sign-up bonus
Read More -
Exclusive $600 Full Tilt Poker sign-up bonus
Read More -
Exclusive $20,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure satellite at PokerStars
Read More
Fixed Limit Texas Holdem Set-Up and Play
By PokerListings
Texas Hold'em is the most widely played poker variation, particularly thanks to its simple setup and play.
This article explains all the rules and concepts you'll need to get started playing it.
Hold'em is almost exclusively played with three different betting structures: Limit, No-Limit and Pot Limit. This article focuses on the Limit version of the game.
Its full name is "Fixed Limit," and it's called that because the betting limits are fixed. At any given time, you can only bet in the single governing limit set for that street.
The simplest way to explain how the game works is to run you through a sample hand. This article will walk you through each step of a hand, and all the common situations and rules you may encounter during your play.
Before the Cards Are Dealt
The very first thing you have to do is decide on the stakes in which you're about to play. If you're playing a tournament the stakes will start very small and gradually increase; if you're playing a cash game, the stakes will stay constant.
For this example, let's say you're playing a $2/$4 cash game. This means that in this game the lower fixed limit is $2, while the higher fixed limit is $4.
Hold'em poker functions with a rotating dealer. This means regardless of who's actually dealing the cards, the dealer in the game is the player with the plastic "Dealer" button in front of them. After the hand concludes, the dealer button is moved to the player to the left of the current dealer, and so on.
If this is the very first hand, you can choose who starts as the dealer in any fashion you would like, the most common being dealing every player one card face up. The high card starts as the dealer.
Once you have a dealer, the player to the left of the dealer must put the small blind out. The small blind is a forced bet equal to half of the smaller limit. In our $2/$4 game, the small blind would put out $1. (If you're playing a limit in which half would not be an even-dollar amount, such as $5/$10, the small blind is typically rounded down, making it $2.)
The player to the left of the small blind must place the big blind. The big blind is equal to the full amount of the smaller limit; in our example here the big blind will be $2.
The Cards Are Dealt
The cards are dealt clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the button (the small blind) and ending with the player who is acting as dealer (the button). Each player receives two hole cards, which for now remain face down on the table.
The First Round of Betting
After the last card is dealt, the action starts with the player seated to the left of the big blind. This player has the option to call (match the amount of the big blind, or the smaller limit), fold (throw away their cards) or raise. A raise in limit poker is always equal to the total of the previous bet, plus the addition of the current governing limit.
In this scenario, the player chooses to raise. This means they put in a total of $4 ($2 to call the current bet of the big blind, and $2 to raise the amount of the smaller limit).
The action now continues clockwise around the table, with each player acting on the same options: call, fold or raise. When the action meets the small blind, the amount of money they've already put into the pot is counted toward the total of their call or raise. If they choose to fold, that money is lost to the pot.
The big blind has the same option as the small blind here. If no player would have raised, the big blind would have been the only player with a different set of options. Since (assuming no raise was made) the current bet was $2, which the big blind had already bet before the deal, they had the option to check (continue to the next street without putting any more chips into play) or to raise.
In poker, a betting round ends when every player has had the option to play, and every player has the same amount of chips bet (or has folded).
(Note: There is an additional rule on raising. In Limit Hold'em there is a "cap," meaning there can only be one bet and three raises in any single betting round [unless there are only two players remaining in the hand]. This means once there has been a bet and three raises, no player is allowed to raise any further; they can only call or fold.)
The Flop
Once the first round of betting is complete, the dealer deals the flop. To do so, they place one card face down on the table (this card is known as the "burn card"), followed by three cards face up. Each player looks at the flop and uses it to evaluate the strength of their current holdings.
From now until the end of the hand, every betting round starts with the player closest to the dealer button. This means action starts in the small blind and moves clockwise around the table. If there is no live player in the small blind, action starts on the next player still in the hand, following the clockwise flow around the table.
The betting in this second betting round is identical to that in the first, with one small exception. The first player to act now has the choice to check (there is no bet, so calling no bet is called "checking") or to bet (they can bet the lower limit of $2). If they check, the next player is faced with the very same options.
As soon as someone bets, the players' available options become to call, raise or fold. As soon as everyone has acted and everyone has the same amount of money bet, the betting round is over.
The Turn and River
Dealing the turn is similar to the flop, as the dealer deals one card face down, followed by one card face up. This card is followed by the third betting round. The turn and river play the very same as did the flop, with only one difference. The betting limit on the final two betting rounds uses the higher limit, making each bet and raise cost $4.
Once the third betting round is completed, the river is dealt exactly as the turn was. After the river is dealt the fourth, and final, betting round is run. Upon completion of this betting round, the remaining players in the hand enter the showdown.
The showdown is simple - each player shows their hand, and the best hand wins the pot. For a list of the order of poker hand rankings, head over to this article.
And there you have it; you now know everything you need to know about Limit poker.
Occasionally odd situations will come up, such as the dealer accidently burning two cards before showing the turn. To learn how to deal with these irregularities, head to "Odd Situations and Rules for Your Home Game."
Comment(s) on this article
pj Mar 2, 2008
Question 4 all: Im new to this, can any one tell me what hapens when u have all in's and the player that goes out s the next person to deal. What happens the blinds? big and small and who deals?
Tim Young Mar 6, 2008
if thare are 2 players or more after the river card cums out if one person bets $20.00 ant the other players call The $20.dollers do all players have to show thare cards or Not win or loose at the end of the game or can thay just bin them??? we a reson to beleave that players can cheat by not showing thare hands and chipping up thare friends so we made a ruling that u have to show all at end is this true or not?? Thanks Tim uk
David Allen Mar 23, 2008
I am also interested in the response to Tim Young's question on March 6, 2008 - Do you have to show your hand after the river and all bets are in or do you have the option of discarding them in the muck unseen by other players?
alex lopes May 11, 2008
I need help with a rule on texas holdem.
If I have 2 Kings in my hand.
The other has Q7.
and on the board has Q7554
who wins the hand?
phil May 13, 2008
during a game if a player stands up to watch for a while does the dealer still deal 2 cards to that seat
Sean Lind May 13, 2008
alex lopes:You win the hand.
Your 5-card hand: K-K-5-5-Q
Their 5 card hand: Q-Q-7-7-5
You have two pair, King high, he has two pair Queen high.
Phil: technically you must be seated for the dealer to give you cards. But, in every cardroom I've ever been to if you ask the dealer to "deal you in" when you stand up, you'll still recieve your cards.
In a tournament, you will always receive cards regardless of your presence at the table. As soon as the last card of the deal is dealt, your hand is considered mucked.
In a cash game, you usually have until it's your turn to act before they muck your hand.
Newt May 30, 2008
Question Who win the hand in texas holdem
the best hand is on the board straight flush
none have any card in the flush who win?
Sean Lind Jun 3, 2008
Newt, in hold'em you hand is always made up of the best possible 5 card combination. If that is the 5 board cards, such as in your example, that is your hand.
For example, if the board has a royal flush, all players in the hand have a royal flush, so they all split the pot.
If no players have a hand better than that of the board, the pot is split.
Dave B Jun 3, 2008
Cash game No-Limt Texas Holdem:
after the flop player A rasies, play B calls, and player C raises to put player A all in. Can player B reraise or can he only call the raise?
Thanks
Sean Lind Jun 4, 2008
after the flop player A raises, play B calls, and player C raises to put player A all in. Can player B re-raise or can he only call the raise?
In what you described, player B has the option to raise again.
You look at is as if the betting round is closed, re-opened. In what you describe, player C will have to have put in a legal full raise.
What I mean is, if player A has less than double the amount he bet, player C would have been required to bet double the original bet amount regardless. Any complete raise re-opens the betting round, giving all players after option to act again.
Now if player C had moved all in for less than the amount of a full raise, player A and player B can only call. Only a full raise can re-open a betting round.
NOTE: The standard definition of a full raise is always double the bet, or matching the previous raise amount. So if you raise from $2 to $10 a full raise for me is $18.
Some card rooms will call an all in, that is half or more of the amount of a full raise as re-opening the betting round. So if Player C had moved all in for $14+ it would have allowed player B to raise again.
This ruleing is rare, and is incorrect as far as I, and all other serious poker player, are concerned.
Also, I have played in games in Australia (NPL AKA the National Poker League) games where they seem to think that a full raise is the amount of the big blind... this is wrong for a number of reasons, but it's how they play.
So ask the floorman what a minimum raise is for the room. If it's a home game play by the standards, double the bet, or matching the previous raise.
Sean Lind Jun 4, 2008
That was kind of long, Hope it helped!
pokerface Jun 5, 2008
In your opinion, what is the max number of players for a game of holdem
timbits Jun 5, 2008
Is the game always played clockwise, or is this different in some countries (Asian cultures often play games anti-clockwise)
Sean Lind Jun 5, 2008
You really should never have more than 10 players in a holdem game. You can play it with 11 or 12, but 10 is the max I would recommend.
As for the direction, I've never played in Asia. Poker in America and Europe always goes clockwise though.
Sampson Jun 9, 2008
Could you please tell me who wins if K-10-10 are the flop and 5-K are the turn and river cards. Player 1 has 5-2 as his hole cards and player 2 has A-7???? Thankyou
Sean Lind Jun 10, 2008
Sampson:
The board is: K-10-10-5-K
Player one: 5-2
His best 5 card hand is the board. Two pair, Kings and Tens, with a 5 kicker.
Player two: A-7
He can beat the board with two pair Kings and Tens with an Ace kicker.
Player two wins the pot. This is called getting counterfeit. On the turn player one was ahead, until the river brought a higher two pair, to counterfeit the players hand.
mick Jun 20, 2008
if there are 2 players left and the second player hasnt enough for big blind what happens
Chirag Jun 23, 2008
Hi if i have a game as 2 2
and other has Q 5
On board cards are A A A 9 9
Who wins the hand and how ?
Sean Lind Jun 24, 2008
mick - if there are 2 players left and the second player hasnt enough for big blind what happens
The player with less than the big blind is considered "all in". The other player must match the amount of chips the all in player holds. Winner takes all.
Chirag :
Hi if i have a game as 2 2
and other has Q 5
On board cards are A A A 9 9
It's a chop, you split the pot. Poker is always always always the best possible 5 card hand. For both of these players, that's a full house aces over nines.
The 22 hand got counterfeit, he had the house on the flop, but it's better than a Q or 5 falling.
asif gujarati Jul 6, 2008
if you got a 5 and 2 as your hold cards and there is a Ace a three and a four on the flop does that count as a five high stright???
Sean Lind Jul 8, 2008
Yes, A-2-3-4-5 is a straight, and is known as the wheel, or the bicycle.
Aces are both high and low for straights in poker, but you are not allowed to wrap, meaning you can not go J-Q-K-A-2. That is NOT a straight.
Skip Jul 16, 2008
Hey Sean,
I saw your recent post regarding:
Your 5-card hand: K-K-5-5-Q
Their 5 card hand: Q-Q-7-7-5
I was just wondering who would win in this situation? Thanks.
Sean Lind Jul 17, 2008
Skip:
Your 5-card hand: K-K-5-5-Q
Their 5 card hand: Q-Q-7-7-5
When looking at two pair vs two pair, you start with the high pair first. In this case KK is higher than QQ, so your 5-card hand wins.
If the high pair is the same, then you look at the low pair. If that is the same, only then do you look at the kicker.
NL4M Jul 18, 2008
If the board has AAK(flop) 2(turn) 3(river)
Player 1 has Q6
Player 2 has Q8
Who wins ? The game I got,a video game, it goes to a "2nd kicker". Even if there is a pair on the board.
I always thought that if you are playing a high card, and there even, you move on to the next high card. If they, too, are even it's a tie. From what I read in your artical I can say that it's not a tie. You go on to the 3rd card, 4th card, 5th high card. If all are the same then the pot is split. If the 5th card is the only one that differces then the pot goes to one player, right ?
Sean Lind Jul 18, 2008
NL4M:
THe pot goes to Q8 making the winning hand
AAKQ8
Count from the top down until there is a difference. You always make the best 5 card hand
AAKQ8
AAKQ6
it's the same until the 8 vs. 6. 8 is higher, so Q8 wins as the hand. It would be a chop if there was another pair on board:
AAKK2
IN this scenario you both have the hand:
AAKKQ
Making it a chop, or split pot.
Poker man Jul 21, 2008
i have a situation where are this cards
10-10-9-9-2
1st player: Q-6
2nd player: 4-4
who wins???
jack Jul 21, 2008
the cards are A Q J 10 4
one kid flips over 4 8
can the other person just show the king to win the hand? or must he flip over both cards even tho the other card has no effect on the hand?
HH Jul 21, 2008
hi sean, just wondering who will win this situation:
1st plyr: 5H,QC
2nd plyr: 6H,2S
on the board:
Jack H,10H,3H,7H,8S
now they are both flush, but who will win? the higher hand which is 6h or the highest kicker wich is the QC?
tnx!
Sean Lind Jul 22, 2008
Poker man: 10-10-9-9-2
1st player: Q-6
2nd player: 4-4
The second player got counterfeit. He is now playing 10-10-9-9-4, while the first player has 10-10-9-9-Q, making player one the winner.
Sean Lind Jul 22, 2008
jack: "can the other person just show the king to win the hand? or must he flip over both cards even tho the other card has no effect on the hand?"
In a casino or card room, you must always show both cards to win a pot. It's a blanket rule put in place mostly to avoid cheating and mistakes. The rule is "You need two cards to win", you're not allowed to have three, and you can't play a hand with one.
To win you must show both cards always. Since the second card has nothing to do with the hand, in a private game just showing the one winning card is totally legal, unless someone wants to be a jerk about it.
Sean Lind Jul 22, 2008
HH:
1st plyr: 5H,QC
2nd plyr: 6H,2S
on the board:
Jack H,10H,3H,7H,8S
You can only ever use 5 cards to make your hand. So the kickers don't play, since all 5 cards are used in making up the flush, making player two the winner.
hh Jul 23, 2008
TNX A LOT SEAN!
Sharp Jul 27, 2008
Confused about the capping. One bet, max three raises.
1.A bets, B calls, C calls, can A raise again?
2.A bets, B raise, C calls, can A raise again or must call or fold?
3. A bets, B raise, C raise, can A raise again?
alisarp Jul 27, 2008
1. A bets, B calls, C calls, can A raise again?
2. A bets, B raises, C calls, can A raise again?
3. A bets, B raises, C raises, can A raise again?
4. A checks, B bets, C calls, can A raise again?(check raise)
5. Is check raise a house rule or allowed in all games?
If 1 is true, is this scenereo true?
6. A bets, B calls, C calls, A raises, B calls, C calls, A raises, B calls, C calls, A raises, B calls, C calls.
Sean Lind Jul 29, 2008
alisarp
1. A bets, B calls, C calls, can A raise again?
No, a betting round ends when two conditions are met. Every player with cards has teh same amount of money bet, AND everyone has had a chance to act.
As son as player c just calls, both conditions have been met, the betting round is over. Player A would be raising herself if she could raise again.
2. A bets, B raises, C calls, can A raise again?
For the same reason, B and C have more money bet than A, He now has option to raise again.
3. A bets, B raises, C raises, can A raise again?
Same as before, Yes he can
4. A checks, B bets, C calls, can A raise again?(check raise)
Yes, same reason
5. Is check raise a house rule or allowed in all games?
Check raising is allowed in most all games, unless they have made a specific rule against it.
Here's one for you:
A bets, B raises, C re-raises
A re-reraises.
B now is unable to do anything but fold or call. After one bet and three raises the betting has been capped meaning no more raises are allowed.
Ruud Peersman Aug 8, 2008
Hello, i have a situation in which we don't exactly know what to do:
after the flop, the dealer turns the fourth card without burning a card before. Does the "the table sticks" principal count, or is it something else?
thanks,
Ruud
Sean Lind Aug 8, 2008
Ruud Peersman. If a fourth card has been turned over before burning, it's treated as an exposed card. The dealer shows the card to eveyrone, and flips it over as the burn with the next card flipped as the turn.
Another scenario that can happen.
If the turn gets flipped before all action has completed, the burn card for that round stays burnt, and the flipped card gets reshuffled into the remainder of the deck. After shuffling and cutting, the top card is the new turn (you don't burn again).
rexell Sep 16, 2008
Hi? is there a rule in raising?
Ex.
Minimum raise is the big blind.. or you can raise any amount you want..
Sean Lind Sep 17, 2008
rexell:
There are three types of poker: Limit, Pot-Limit and No-Limit. They all have different rules for raise amounts. Here's a little guide:
Limit: You can only bet and raise in the set denominations of the limit. For example if you're playing $5-$10 limit:
Preflop and on the flop you can bet only $5, if you want to raise you can only raise to a total of $10 and so on. (on the turn and river it goes up to the higher limit, so you bet in incraments of $10)
Pot-Limit and No Limit: These games will have the blinds as its name, such as $10-$25 pot-limit. This means the minimum bet on any street is $25.
A Minimum raise in either of these games is always double the previous bet or raise amount. For example:
#1 - You bet $25 (min raise is $25, for a total bet 1 of $50)
#2 - You bet $25, Someone raises to $100 (The previous raise was $75. That is the min amount of my raise. My min raise total is $175)
In Pot-Limit The maximum raise the total amount of the pot, and No-Limit has, of coarse, No-Limit.
frits Nov 2, 2008
hi , if i call , must i put my cards o the table , or can i ask what have you got ? dose he have to nominate his best hand ? he might make a mistake by nominating a hand lower than mine i.e. we are playing at home with real cards ? thnx .
Sean Lind Nov 4, 2008
frits: I'm glad you asked this, as too many live players are making mistakes on this, becoming self-righteous slow-rollers. At showdown, if you believe you have the best hand, you should immediately say what you have, or show it.
If the last action was made by your opponent (meaning they bet the river, and you called) they are entitled to show first. If you don't know if you won and don't want to reveal what you're playing, it's up to them to call their hand, or show it.
It is against the rules to knowingly state you have a better, or worse hand than you actually do (everyone makes mistakes sometimes).
If you have the winning hand, you should always show it immediately, even if the other player is supposed to show first. Waiting to see their hand with the obvious winner is slow rolling, and is very frowned upon.
What you do with your hand is up to you, what your opponents do with theirs is up to them.
cucu Dec 12, 2008
hi
Tom Jan 3, 2009
Hey,
I was playing and we have a problem, we dont know who wins this hand, let me lay out the hand for you.
The flop turn and river have been played there is an ace two threes, a four and a seven. and the two players in have
One player has a queen jack, and the other has a queen nine, who wins the hand?
i always thought that you choose the best five cards to make a hand and if you both only have a pair then it goes to the high card or kicker, in this case wouldnt it be the ace because it is the high card on the table.
So the outcome would be that you would split the pot.
Thanks Tom
Sean Lind Jan 3, 2009
Tom: You started by saying that you need to make the best five card hand, but in your assessment you only used three cards.
Board: A-3-3-4-7
Player 1: QJ
Player 2: Q9
Player one's hand: A-3-3-Q-J
Player two's hand: A-3-3-Q-9
Basically, you follow down the hand until there's a difference, in this scenario all cards are the same until the fifth card, the third kicker. Jack is higher than a nine, so player one wins the entire pot.
Only if ALL 5 CARDS are the same will the pot be chopped.
Bob Feb 9, 2009
We play in a tourameny where the deal rotates among the players. Can the Dealer call the cards when he deals? Example 3, 7 , queen.
Can you call 3 of clubs, 7 of spades, queen of hearts? Can you call the possibilities Let's say 2 clubs come out --can you say possible flush draw?
Can people in the game comment about the possibilities?
What talk is restricted , if any?
Sean Lind Feb 10, 2009
The dealer should NEVER say anything about the hands or the board. "Possible flush draw", "Someone has a full house" things like this are 100% against the rules. (Ok they're etiquette rules, but still)
Don't talk about the board, or the hand... ever.
The only exception to this rule is if you're dealing Stud. The dealer will call out as they deal to each player as it effects the game. Stud dealers will call out things like "An ace for the lead" or "Pairs his eight".
A stud dealer should still only mention things that are applicable to the deal, high cards and pairs. They should never talk about possible hands, such as flushes.
Rafiul Aug 26, 2009
hey Sean
whn me and my friends were playin' my friend Mr."X" had a flush and I had flush and a straight together only tht Mr."X" had a Ace in that Flush and i had a Jack in that Flush...Who wins the pot...wont the pot Split
Thank You
Rafiul Rowshan
Sean Lind Aug 26, 2009
Rafiul,
The player with the highest 5-card flush will win (unless you had a straight flush).
Since you say your friend had an Ace, I'm assuming he had the nut flush. If you have a straight flush, you win. If you only have a flush (with a straight, not all of the same suit) you lose to the higher flush of your friend.
Leave a comment