The rules in brief
Each player is dealt two private cards. Five community cards are dealt face up over three stages: the flop, the turn and the river, with a betting round before the flop and after each stage. Players make the best five-card hand using any combination of their two cards and the board. The complete walkthrough is in our how to play poker guide.
A short history
Hold'em began in Texas in the early 20th century and arrived in Las Vegas in the 1960s, first at the Golden Nugget. In 1970 the World Series of Poker was founded at Binion's Horseshoe, and no-limit Hold'em became the game of its Main Event. In 2003 an amateur named Chris Moneymaker qualified online and won the Main Event, setting off the global "poker boom". Today Hold'em is played in more countries than any other card game with real money at stake.
Formats
| Format | What makes it different |
|---|---|
| No-limit Hold'em (NLHE) | Bet any amount up to your stack. The standard for tournaments and most cash games. |
| Limit Hold'em (LHE) | Fixed bet sizes and a cap on raises. Mathematical and grinding. |
| Pot-limit Hold'em | Bets capped at the pot. Rare today, popular in 1990s Europe. |
| Spin & Go / jackpot sit-and-go | Three-player hyper-turbo with a randomised prize pool. |
| 6+ / Short Deck | Played with a 36-card deck. See Short Deck. |
What winning Hold'em players do differently
- They fold most hands before the flop and raise, rather than call, with the ones they play.
- They use position to play more hands on the button and fewer under the gun.
- They think about ranges, not single hands.
- They value bet relentlessly and understand pot odds instinctively.
Classic Hold'em hands with nicknames
| Hand | Nickname |
|---|---|
| Pocket rockets, bullets | |
| Cowboys | |
| Ladies | |
| Big slick | |
| Doyle Brunson, who won the WSOP Main Event with it twice | |
| The worst hand in Hold'em |
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Texas Hold'em?
The game is generally traced to Robstown, Texas, in the early 1900s. Texan gamblers brought it to Las Vegas in the 1960s, and the name stuck.
What is the difference between limit and no-limit Hold'em?
In limit, bets are fixed amounts. In no-limit, any player can bet all their chips at any time, which makes the game far more volatile and strategic.
How many cards are dealt in Hold'em?
Each player gets two hole cards, and five community cards are dealt in three stages: the flop (three), the turn (one) and the river (one).