Texas Hold'em Poker
There is a reason why Texas Hold'em is the most popular card game in the world. A few minutes to learn it, but years to really master it. The excitement the strategy and the unpredictability keep you coming back for more. So now you want to learn how to play it?
Well, GGPoker is here to help you. On this page, we have outlined how to play Texas Hold'em online as a beginner. This way you will learn the basics you need to get started. Soon you will develop your own playing style and strategy. For more information about poker, take a look at the poker rules page.
Rules for Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of online poker in the world. It is played with a standard 52-card deck, and there can be 2 to 10 players at a table. To begin, the dealer gives everyone two hole cards (your personal cards that no one is allowed to see).
There are then four rounds of betting (we will show these below), resulting in five cards being dealt face up on the table for everyone to use (community cards). You must then use your hole cards and the community cards to make the best possible hand of five cards.
No Limit
All Texas Hold'em poker games on GGPoker are "No-Limit," meaning that there is no limit to how much a player can bet at one time. So players can always go "All-In" and bet all their chips when it's their turn.
Positions
Positions at the poker table - an explanation of the Big Blind, the Small Blind & the Dealer.
The image shows the positions you need to know before playing online poker. The "Dealer button" will move clockwise across the table after each hand.
- Big Blind - The player to the left of the Small Blind. The Big Blind is equal to the minimum bet at that time.
- Small Blind - The player seated directly to the left of the Dealer must bet the small blind.
- Dealer - Each hand has one designated Dealer. The Dealer position determines the position of the Small and Big Blind. The Dealer button is passed clockwise after each hand.
Actions
Your options at the poker table - Check, Bet, Raise, Call, or Fold
- Fold - The player feels they cannot win the hand, so they lose all the chips they have in the pot. They return their hole cards to the dealer without showing them to anyone.
- Check - If no new bet has been made, the player can pass the turn to the next player without betting or folding. But if another player raises before the betting round is completed, the player must call, re-raise or fold.
- Bet - The player bets a certain amount based on the strength of their cards (or bluffs if they are adventurous). The bet must be higher than the Big Blind.
- Call - If a bet is placed before it is the player's turn to act, they can choose to call, matching the bet. If you don't have enough to match the bet and you still want to play you can go "All-In"; but you can only win the amount of chips you have left.
- Raise - You can choose to bet more than other bets made previously. It must be at least double previous bets.
Betting rounds
Pre-Flop
The Preflop - Everyone gets their first two cards (hole cards).
This is the betting round played when you have received your two hole cards and before we have seen community cards.
The Flop
The Flop - 3 Community (common) cards are dealt.
Once the first three community cards are dealt, there is a second round of betting. You combine your hole cards with the community cards to make the best possible hand.
The Turn
The Turn - A 4th community card is dealt
A fourth card, called the Turn, comes to the table, followed by another round of betting. This added card can cause a player's action to change completely as it makes their hand stronger or weaker.
The River
The River - A final 5th community card is dealt.
A final fifth card is dealt and another round of betting begins. You must now see what the strongest hand you can make is, and figure out if your opponent has a better hand, didn't get the card they were looking for, or is trying to bluff to win the pot.
The Showdown
If there are two or more players remaining after the action closes on the River, we move to the Showdown. All active players show their hole cards, and the best of the poker hands shown is determined. The pot is awarded to the winner. If two or more players have equal hand rankings on the Showdown, the pot is divided equally.
9-max (Ante)
Some games in Hold'em include up to 9 players at the table with a mandatory ante preflop. The amount of the ante equals a small blind and is placed by all active players.
The game is then played like a normal Hold'em game.
6 Max No Limit Hold'em Information
$200 / $400$8,0000.05BB0.15BB$100 / $200$4,0000.08BB0.24BB$50 / $100$2,0000.14BB0.42BB$25 / $50$1,0000.2BB0.55BB
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| Low Stakes |
$0.01 | $0.02 | $0.50 | 5% | $0.05 | $0.10 | $0.15 | $0.20 |
| $0.02 | $0.05 | $1 | $0.13 | $0.25 | $0.38 | $0.50 | ||
| $0.05 | $0.10 | $2 | $0.25 | $0.50 | $0.75 | $1 | ||
| $0.10 | $0.25 | $5 | $0.50 | $1 | $1.50 | $2 | ||
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| Middle Stakes |
$0.25 | $0.50 | $10 | 5% | $1 | $2 | $3 | $4 |
| $0.50 | $1 | $20 | $1.25 | $2.50 | $3.75 | $5 | ||
| $1 | $2 | $40 | $1.50 | $3 | $4.50 | $6 | ||
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| High Stakes |
$2 | $5 | $50 | 5% | 0.4BB | 0.8BB | 1.2BB | 1.6BB |
| $5 | $10 | $100 | 0.25BB | 0.5BB | 0.75BB | 1BB | ||
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| VIP Games |
$25 | $50 | $1,000 | 5% | 0.138BB | 0.275BB | 0.413BB | 0.55BB |
| $50 | $100 | $2,000 | 0.105BB | 0.21BB | 0.315BB | 0.42BB | ||
| $100 | $200 | $4,000 | 0.06BB | 0.12BB | 0.18BB | 0.24BB | ||
| $200 | $400 | $8,000 | 0.038BB | 0.075BB | 0.113BB | 0.15BB | ||
| $500 | $1,000 | $100,000 | 0.025BB | 0.05BB | 0.075BB | 0.1BB | ||
9 Max No Limit Hold'em Information
$25 / $50$1,0000.2BB0.55BB
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| Low Stakes |
$0.01 | $0.02 ($0.01) | $1 | 5% | $0.08 | $0.15 | $0.23 | $0.30 |
| $0.02 | $0.05 ($0.02) | $2 | $0.19 | $0.38 | $0.56 | $0.75 | ||
| $0.05 | $0.10 ($0.05) | $5 | $0.38 | $1.75 | $1.13 | $1.50 | ||
| $0.10 | $0.25 ($0.10) | $10 | $0.63 | $1.25 | $1.88 | $2.50 | ||
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| Middle Stakes |
$0.25 | $0.50 ($0.25) | $25 | 5% | $1 | $2 | $3 | $4 |
| $0.50 | $1 ($0.50) | $50 | $1.25 | $2.50 | $3.75 | $5 | ||
| $1 | $2 ($1) | $100 | $1.50 | $3 | $4.50 | $6 | ||
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| High Stakes |
$2 | $5 ($2) | $250 | 5% | 0.4BB | 0.8BB | 1.2BB | 1.6BB |
| Stakes | Blinds | Default Buy-in | Rake % | Rake Cap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Players | 3 Players | 4 Players | 5+ Players | ||||
| VIP Tables |
$25 | $50 | $1,000 | 5% | 0.138BB | 0.275BB | 0.413BB | 0.55BB |
| $50 | $100 | $2,000 | 0.105BB | 0.21BB | 0.315BB | 0.42BB | ||
Practice Money
Practice Money or Play Money (P) are free chips you can use at Practice Money tables where the blinds are marked with a 'P'.
Practice money tables are available for the following games.
- Hold'em
- PLO/PLO-5
- Short Deck
- All-In or Fold
- Spin & Gold
- Rush & Cash
Additional Information
- Existing players can claim/upgrade up to P10,000 every four hours, up to 2 times peer day. (New players receive P20,000 to start.
- Practice money has no cash value and cannot be used together with cash, C$, T$ or other currency or tickets.
- Some features are not available on play money tables.
- Offerings of practice money and practice money tables depend on the jurisdiction in which the player is located.
Details & Limitations
- This game uses 1 deck of 52 cards and the deck is shuffled after each hand.
- An amount in the pot stays in play when the Internet connection is disconnected.
- GGPoker players accept the risk of a disconnected Internet connection due to problems between their device and the servers, lag or freeze or any other problem in the player's device or the way the device connects to the Internet.
- Players must be 24 years of age or older to participate in promotions
- Contact support in case of difficulties
