In Texas Hold'em, the goal is simple: win the pot. The pot is the collection of chips that players bet during a hand. You win the pot by having the best five-card poker hand at the end, or by making everyone else fold their cards before the hand is over.

Every player gets two private cards, called “hole cards,” that only they can see. Then, five “community cards” are dealt face-up in the middle of the table for everyone to use. Your final five-card hand can be any combination of your two hole cards and the five community cards. You can use both of your hole cards, one of them, or even none of them (playing just the five community cards on the board).

Each hand of poker follows a set structure of dealing cards and betting. Before any cards are dealt, two players must post “blinds,” which are forced bets that get the action started. A marker called the “dealer button” indicates which player is the designated dealer for the hand. This button moves one spot to the left after each hand.

The player immediately to the left of the dealer button posts the “small blind.” The player to their left posts the “big blind,” which is typically double the amount of the small blind.

Once the blinds are posted, the game begins. A hand unfolds in four stages, each with a round of betting.

If two or more players remain after the final betting round, it's time for the showdown. The players reveal their hole cards, and the one who can make the best five-card hand using their two cards and the five on the board wins the entire pot.

For example, if the five community cards are 10♠ J♠ Q♠ 2♥ 5♣, a player holding A♠ and K♠ has a royal flush, the best possible hand. A player holding 10♥ and 10♦ would have three of a kind. The royal flush wins.

Now that you understand the basic flow, let's test your knowledge.

Understanding this sequence of play is the foundation of Texas Hold'em. With these rules in mind, you're ready to think about which hands to play and how to bet.