Before you start playing online poker tables, you will need to familiarize yourself with the hand rankings and basic rules that govern Texas Hold'em . Here are the 10 hands that each player must know before taking action.

Welcome to the poker learning guide of self, dedicated to all beginners who wish to learn the rules of poker and play Texas Hold'em poker but also to many other variants such as Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, or even Chinese poker.

We also guide you on betting procedures, the order of action and the end of the hand, all the steps in order to compete or even organize your own part at home.

Royal Flush

The most famous hand of poker, the Royal Flush is an unbeatable hand. It consists of the Ace, the King, the Lady, the Jack and the Ten of the same color.

Flush

Five cards that follow each other in the same color. In case of a tie, the highest card in the series wins.

Square

Four cards of the same value and an isolated card or "kicker". In case of a tie, the player with the highest isolated card (the "kicker") wins.

Full house

Three cards of the same value and two other cards of the same value. In case of a tie, the three highest cards of the same value win.

Color

Five cards of the same color that do not follow each other. In case of a tie, the player with the highest card wins.

After

Five cards that follow each other without being the same color. In case of a tie, the highest card in the series wins.

Kind

Three cards of the same value and two other cards of different value. In the event of a tie, the player with the isolated card or, if necessary, the second highest isolated card (the "kicker") wins.

Double pair

Two cards of the same value and two other cards of the same value and a "kicker". If two players have the same double pair, the highest of the "kickers" wins.

Pair

Two cards of the same value and three other cards of different values. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest isolated card or, if necessary, the second or third highest isolated card wins.

High card

Any hand that does not fit in the previous categories. In case of a tie, the highest card wins, eg. "As Height".

If you're just starting out, knowing the value of poker hands is the first thing you need. You can find a simplified ranking here, but you can also visit our poker hand ranking page for more detailed explanations. If you have doubts about the winner of a hand , then do not miss our exclusive " what hand wins " tool , a real calculator and simulator for Texas Hold'em!

The basics of poker: The course of a poker hand in 30 seconds

Texas Hold'em Poker is a board game that can be played anywhere and from 2 to 10 players.

1- A player acts as a donor. This position is called the button, and changes after each hand in the direction of clockwise.

2- The two players to the left of the dealer are called respectively small blind and big blind.

3- These two positions require forced bets of a predetermined amount. These are the only two players to put money into the pot before the cards are dealt (except "antes" if any).

4- Each player then receives two hidden cards. These are called private cards, or "hole cards" in English.

5- Once all the cards have been dealt, the first round of betting starts with the player immediately to the left of the big blind. This player can either fold (throw his cards), follow (pay by equalizing the amount of the big blind), or raise (at least twice that same big blind).

6- The betting round then continues in a clockwise direction, with each player having the choice between going to bed (throwing his cards), following (paying the amount of the biggest bet made before him), betting or revive.

7- When the first round of betting is over, three community cards are returned to the center of the table. This is called the Flop.

8- The second round of betting starts with the first player still in play located to the left of the button. This new round of betting, always in the order of clockwise, is summed up by each player having the option to check (if nobody bet before), bet (or raise if someone has it already done), follow (the last biggest bet made), or fold.

9- When the second round of betting is over, a fourth community card is returned to the center of the table. This is called the Turn.

10- The third round of betting starts with the first player still in play sitting to the left of the button.

11- When the third round of betting is over, a fifth community card is returned to the center of the table. This is called the River.

12- The fourth and final round of bets begins again by the first player sitting on the left of the button and still in play, and operating on the same principle as the previous ones.

Author's Bio: 

Each player at the table is dealt two cards face down. That's it. Each player then uses those two cards (or one or none of those cards) in combination with five shared community cards to make their best-five card poker hand. The player with the best hand (or who gets all of the other players to fold) wins the pot!