Texas Holdem Rules
This page is the rules reference: blinds, betting rounds, showdown and side pots. For a beginner path through starting hands, use How to Play Texas Holdem.
Hand rankings
Showdown uses the best five-card hand. The full chart with examples is the poker hand rankings page — this list is only the order.
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a kind
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
Blinds and betting rounds
Small blind and big blind post before cards. Action then goes preflop, flop, turn and river. Remaining players show down the best five-card hand.