In Texas Hold 'em Poker each player are dealt two face down cards (hole cards). These cards are used, together with the community cards dealt later, to try to form - the best five card hand. See hand rankings. The player may use one, two or none of his hole cards to form the hand.

Before we start to explore the procedure of the game, there are some important words  to understand.

Dealer Button: The player who deals the cards is marked with a Dealer button. The button goes one step clockwise around the table each round.

The blinds: Before the players receive any cards, two of the players must bet to get their cards. This is to make sure that there will always be chips in the pot. The player to the left of the button places the small blind. And the player to the left of the small blind places the big blind.



In the betting rounds each player may either bet, raise, call, check or fold.

Bet: The player places the minimum bet for that betting round. Everyone who acts when someone has bet must call the same amount if they want to keep being involved in the pot.

Raise: If someone have already bet the player may raise that bet. All other players who wish to keep playing must pay the same amount as the raiser. If one player has already raised, another player may choose to reraise.

Call: If someone have bet or raised any player who wants to continue playing, must call that bet, ie. placing the same amount as the previous bet.

Check: If no one has bet or if a player already have placed the amount necessary to keep playing, he does not have to bet anything extra on his turn – he may chose to check.
 
Fold: The player drops his cards, and may no longer compete for the pot. If all but one players fold their hands in any of the betting rounds, the player who haven’t folded wins the pot.



There are four betting rounds in Texas Hold 'em. Every player participating in the hand must place equal amounts of bet as the other players in each betting round. Until the time all the players have either placed equal amounts in the pot or folded, the betting will continue.

Preflop: After the blinds are paid, everyone receive their hole cards and the first betting round begins. Each player may now either call the amount of the big blind, raise or fold. The player to the left of the big blind acts first and the big blind acts last.
 
The flop: When the first betting round is over, the first three community cards are dealt. This is called the flop. All community cards can be used by any player to make a hand.

The second betting round begins. The player to the left of the button acts first and the button acts last. The player may now either check, bet, raise or fold. If someone have already bet the player may fold his cards, call the bet or raise.

The turn: After the flop a fourth community card is dealt. This is called the turn card. The betting procedure after this card is dealt is exactly the same as on the flop.

The river: The last card is called the river card. A last betting round takes place, which is exactly the same as for the turn card. The players who have not folded at the end of this round go to showdown. The player that has the best five card hand wins the pot. If two or more players have equally good hands, the pot is split.