Texas Hold'em for beginners

New to poker?Learn Texas Hold'em in 5 minutes

How a hand plays out, which hands win and what to do when it's your turn. Then try it at a table: every chip on MVPoker is a free play chip, never real money.

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Beginner tables, the lowest stakes

2cards only you see
5shared cards on the board
4rounds of betting
1best five-card hand wins

How a hand works

Every hand follows the same seven steps. Here is one from start to finish, the way you would see it at the table.

1
Before the cards
Blinds
The two players to the left of the dealer button post forced bets, the small blind and the big blind, so there is something to win. At Riverside they are 1 and 2 chips.
BTND
SB1
BB2
2
The deal
Two hole cards
Everyone gets two cards face down. Only you can see yours.
You
Opponent
3
Pre-flop
First betting round
Starting left of the big blind, each player folds, calls the big blind or raises. The big blind acts last.
FoldCall 2Raise to 6
4
Flop
Three shared cards
Three cards are turned face up in the middle. They belong to everyone. Then a betting round, starting with the first player still in to the left of the button.
5
Turn
The fourth card
One more shared card, then another round of betting.
6
River
The fifth card
The last shared card and the last round of betting.
7
Showdown
Best hand wins
Players still in show their cards. Each makes the best five-card hand from their two cards and the five on the board, using both, one or none of their own. The best hand takes the pot.
You
WinsStraight, 8 to Q
Opponent
Pair of nines

If everyone else folds, the last player left wins the pot at once and does not have to show.

Hand rankings

From strongest to weakest. A hand higher on the list always beats one lower down.

Makes the handKicker%by the river

1
Royal flush
A, K, Q, J and 10, all of one suit. The best hand in poker.
0.003%
1 in 30,940
2
Straight flush
Five cards in a row, all of one suit.
0.03%
1 in 3,591
3
Four of a kind
All four cards of one rank, also called quads.
0.17%
1 in 595
4
Full house
Three of a kind plus a pair. The three decides between two full houses.
2.6%
1 in 39
5
Flush
Any five cards of one suit. The highest card decides between two flushes.
3.0%
1 in 33
6
Straight
Five cards in a row in mixed suits. The ace can play high or low.
4.6%
1 in 22
7
Three of a kind
Three cards of one rank. Called a set when two of them are in your hand.
4.8%
1 in 21
8
Two pair
Two different pairs. The higher pair decides first, then the lower one.
23.5%
9
One pair
Two cards of the same rank. The kickers decide between equal pairs.
43.8%
10
High card
Nothing matches, so your highest card plays.
17.4%

Kickers

When two players have the same hand, the highest cards that are not part of it break the tie. K-K-A-9-4 beats K-K-Q-J-10: the ace kicker is higher.

Ties split the pot

If the best five cards are exactly equal, the pot is shared equally. It happens most when the board itself is the best hand.

The wheel

A-2-3-4-5 is a straight, the lowest one: here the ace plays low. Straights never wrap around, so Q-K-A-2-3 is not one.

Suits never rank

Spades are no better than hearts. Two players with the same straight in different suits split the pot.

The percentages are how often you finish with each hand by the river, using all seven cards (your two plus the five on the board). With seven cards, ending up with nothing better than high card is rarer than two pair.

Your actions

When it's your turn you have up to three buttons. They only ever show the moves you are allowed to make right now.

FoldF
Throw your cards away and give up the pot. It costs nothing more.
When: Any time it is your turn. If you can check for free, check instead.
CheckC
Pass the action without betting and keep your cards.
When: Only when nobody has bet in this round, or in the big blind when nobody raised.
CallC
Match the current bet to stay in the hand.
When: When someone has bet or raised before you.
BetR
Put the first chips in on this round. Everyone after you must call, raise or fold.
When: When nobody has bet yet in this round. The smallest bet is one big blind.
RaiseR
Make the bet bigger. A raise adds at least as much as the last bet or raise.
When: When someone has already bet in this round.
All-in
Put in every chip you have at the table. You can only win from each player as much as you put in; the rest goes to a side pot.
When: Any time you bet, raise or call. If a call costs more than you have, calling puts you all-in.

This is no-limit Hold'em: any bet from the minimum up to your whole stack is allowed.

Positions

Where you sit compared with the dealer button decides when you act. The button moves one seat to the left after every hand, so everyone plays every position in turn.

Play moves clockwiseUTG acts first, the big blind last.

CO3

BTN4

SB5

BB6

UTG1

HJ2

Early
Late
Blinds

UTGUnder the gunFirst to act before the flop. Play strong hands only.
HJHijackA seat later than UTG, still early: stay selective.
COCutoffRight of the button. Open more hands from here.
BTNButtonThe dealer seat. Acts last after the flop: the best seat.
SBSmall blindPosts half a blind. First to act after the flop.
BBBig blindPosts the big blind. Last to act before the flop.

Why acting last is an advantage

You see what everyone else did before you decide.
You control the pot: check behind for a free card, or bet when others show weakness.
Bluffs work better after the players before you have checked.

Starting hands for beginners

Most hands should be folded before the flop. Start with this short list and play a few more hands from the cutoff and the button.

Premium
Raise from any seat, and re-raise if someone raised first.
- AA
- KK
- QQ
- AKs
- AKo
Strong
Raise. Slow down if someone re-raises big.
- JJ
- TT
- AQs
- AQo
- AJs
- KQs
Playable
From the cutoff and the button, or when the pot is cheap to enter.
- 99–22
- ATs–A2s
- KJs
- QJs
- JTs
- T9s
- 98s
- 87s
- AJo
- KQo
Fold mostly
They look tempting and lose chips. Folding costs nothing.
- A9o–A2o
- K9o and lower
- Q9o and lower
- Unsuited low cards like 72o

s = suited (same suit), o = offsuit, T = ten. 99–22 means every pair from nines down to twos.

Counting outs

Outs are the cards still in the deck that would give you the best hand. Count them, then use the rule of 2 and 4 for a quick estimate of your chances.

×4Rule of 4On the flop, with two cards to come: outs × 4 ≈ your chance by the river.

×2Rule of 2On the turn, with one card to come: outs × 2 ≈ your chance on the river.

Example

You hold J♠ 10♠ on a flop of 9♦ 8♣ 2♠. Any queen or seven makes a straight: 4 + 4 = 8 outs. 8 × 4 = 32%, close to the real 31.5%.

You

Flop

Your outsQQQQ7777

Draw	Outs	Flop → river	Turn → river
Flush drawFour cards of one suit	9	≈ 35%	≈ 19.6%
Open-ended straight drawFour in a row, open at both ends	8	≈ 31.5%	≈ 17.4%
GutshotOne card missing inside a straight	4	≈ 16.5%	≈ 8.7%
Two overcardsBoth your cards higher than the board	6	≈ 24%	≈ 13%
Set to full house or better7 outs on the flop, 10 on the turn	7	≈ 33%	≈ 21.7%

At the table, the action bar shows the pot odds: how much of the final pot your call would be. When your chance to hit is bigger than that, calling pays off over time.

Glossary

The words you will hear at the table.

Blinds: The two forced bets posted before the cards are dealt by the two players left of the button. In a Sit & Go they go up on a clock.
Button: The dealer marker (D). It moves one seat to the left every hand, and the player on it acts last after the flop.
Pot: All the chips bet in the hand so far. The winner takes it.
Side pot: When a player is all-in, the extra chips the others bet go into a separate pot that the all-in player cannot win.
Kicker: A card that is not part of your hand but still counts. It breaks ties between equal hands.
Nuts: The best hand possible on this board. With the nuts you cannot lose, at worst you split.
Draw: A hand that is not made yet but could be, like four cards to a flush.
Outs: The cards left in the deck that would complete your draw.
Check-raise: Checking first, then raising when someone bets after you. A strong play, often a big hand.
C-bet: Continuation bet: the player who raised before the flop bets again on the flop, whatever it brought.
Tilt: Playing worse because you are upset after a bad beat. The cure is a short break.
Rake: A small cut of the pot kept by the house. MVPoker takes 5% of cash-game pots that see a flop, at most 2 big blinds (no flop, no drop); tournaments take a 10% entry fee instead. It keeps the play-chip economy healthy, so a big stack still means something. Chips have no money value and can never be cashed out.
Sit & Go: A tournament with no start time: it begins as soon as every seat is taken. Everyone starts with the same stack, the blinds rise on a clock and the last players standing share the prizes.
Freezeout: A tournament with no rebuys: when your chips are gone, you are out. Every Sit & Go on MVPoker is a freezeout.

Table tips on MVPoker

A few things that make playing here faster and more fun.

Keyboard shortcuts

They work when it is your turn. With several tables open, only the one waiting for you takes the keys.

Shortcuts pause while you type in chat, notes or a dialog.

FFold. Only when there is a bet to face, never when you could check.
CCheck, or call the bet.
RBet or raise to the amount set.
EnterBet or raise too, also from the amount box.
↑↓Make the bet one big blind bigger or smaller.

Quick messagesOpen quick chat at the table to send a ready-made line like “Nice hand!” or throw a reaction. You can hide other players’ reactions in the table settings.
Player cardsClick any player to open their card: rank, results, best hand and achievements. Add a private note with a colour tag to remember how they play. Only you see it.
Sitting outNeed a break? Choose “Sit out next hand”. Your seat is kept for a few minutes; press “I’m back” to be dealt in again. In a Sit & Go the blinds keep taking your chips while you are away.
Multi-tablePlay up to four tables on one screen. The table waiting for you lights up and takes the keyboard.
Act in advanceBefore your turn, pick Check / Fold, Check or Call any, and the table makes that move for you when the action reaches you.
Hand historyOpen History to look back at your last hands: who bet what, and what everyone showed down.

Ready for your first hand?

The fastest way to learn is to play a few hands. Sit at the lowest stakes, fold the weak ones and watch how others play.

Play now

Beginner tables, the lowest stakes

New to poker?Learn Texas Hold'em in 5 minutes

How a hand works

Blinds

Two hole cards

First betting round

Three shared cards

The fourth card

The fifth card

Best hand wins

Hand rankings

Royal flush

Straight flush

Four of a kind

Full house

Flush

Straight

Three of a kind

Two pair

One pair

High card