The basics of Texas hold' em has play beginning with each player receiving two cards, face down. The player in the small blind gets the first card and the player in the button seat gets that last card. A standard poker deck is used.



The cards that each player gets down are what are called the hole cards. These are the only cards that the player will get that he doesn't have to use as community cards. These cards will not be shown until the show down.

These cards will not be revealed until the show down. The first agenda is the pre flop betting round. Beginning with the player to the immediate left of the dealer and rotates in a clockwise position.

Betting rounds go on until each player has folded. The other options that end the game are if a player puts all of their chips in or matched the other player's bets. If there are at least two players left after the pre-flop betting round the dealer deals a flop of three community cards face up.

Then there is a second betting round. After the flop betting round ends, a single community card is laid. Some call this turn card and others call it the fourth street card is laid.

After the flop ends, one community card is played. The pros call this the turn card. Some do call it the fourth street card as well.

Then there is another betting round. An additional community card is laid. This is called either the river card or the fifth street card.

This is done so that other players can't see the bottom card. In the event that a player does bet and the other player has the best hand, he does not have to reveal his hand. If two or more players remain post last bet then the remaining players will face what is called a showdown.

If a player bets and all other players fold, then the remaining player is awarded the pot and is not required to show his hole cards. If there are two or more players still in after the final round of betting then there will be what is called the showdown. At this point each player would be working from seven cards, the two in the hole and the five community cards.

Each player plays the best five-card poker hand possible from the seven cards. If the player uses just the community cards and not his hole cards then it is said that he is playing the board. The best result that can come from this is a spilt pot with those that stayed in.

This type of play will continue. Players will eventually break their bank. Whoever is sitting with the biggest bank is usually the last man standing.