Texas Hold em, currently the most popular form of poker, can be played with two to ten players at a single table. Hold em is not usually played with an ante, but rather with forced bets before the cards are dealt (called the blinds) made by the two players to the dealer’s left. The player immediately to the dealer’s left posts the small blind, which is usually half the size of the big blind, and the player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind.

After the blinds have been posted, dealing the cards according to holdem game rules is accomplished by dealing a face-down card to each player, beginning with the small blind. After each player has been dealt a face-down card, the process is repeated until all players have two cards, known as hole cards. Then, beginning with the player in the position known as “under the gun” (or UTG), the betting begins. If the game is being played using Texas Hold em Rules with no-limit, the UTG player may call the amount of the big blind, raise between a minimum of twice the big blind up to the maximum of all the chips he or she has, or simply fold.

The next player has the same options of calling, raising, or folding and so on until all players have acted and there are no raises left to be called. Then, according to Texas Hold em Rules, the dealer produces what is known as the flop: three cards face-up in the center of the table—community cards that all players use to form their hand. A player’s hand must consist of five cards from a combination of his or her hole cards plus the community cards (although using hole cards to form a hand is not required by holdem game rules).

After the flop is dealt, the player on the dealer’s left is the first to act and may bet or check. If a bet is made, it must be at least the size of the big blind but may be as much as all the chips that player has—if playing with holdem game rules using no-limit—referred to as going “all-in”. Play proceeds around the table with players checking, calling, raising, or folding as necessary. Next in Texas Hold em Rules the dealer deals a face-up card known as “the turn” and betting continues the same as during the flop. The “turn” is followed by a fifth and final face-up card, called “the river”, and a final round of betting.

After all bets have been made, the player with the best hand according to standard poker hand rules wins the pot.