Win the pot by being the last player who has not folded, or by holding the strongest five-card hand at showdown.
1. Receive two private cards
These are your hole cards. A standard deck has 52 cards, four suits and thirteen ranks per suit. Keep your hole cards private while the hand is in progress.
2. Follow the betting
The small and big blinds start the pot. On your turn you can fold, call an existing bet, raise when permitted, or check if you owe nothing. “Raise to” is the total contribution on this street.
3. Read the shared cards
The flop is three community cards. The turn adds one; the river adds one. A betting round follows each reveal. A hand can end early if everyone but one player folds.
4. Make the best five
At showdown, use any five cards from your hole cards and the board. Zero, one or two hole cards may be used. If the best five are identical, players tie.
5. Learn the order, then practice
Start with the hand-ranking chart and the table actions. You do not need to memorize advanced ranges to understand your first hand. Practice without real-money stakes and ask for clarification when an amount or rule is unclear.