Texas hold em rules

Texas Hold Em rules are not so hard but might take some time to memorize, though usually this is not very important as many poker-room-softwares simply do not allow the players to stray from the rules. The main flow of the game is explaned in the How to Play Texas Holdem section. Texas Holdem Hands can be found in correspondent section.

Flow of the game

Hold Em is played clockwise, starting by the player that is very next from the dealer (still going clockwise, see picture A if unclear). Dealer-button position is the last to act on every round. UTG-position (Under The Gun) is a position that is next to the dealer (button) and the first to act on every round (placing the small blind). UTG is also called the weakest position, as the player in that spot has to act first and without any information. The Cutoff-position is opposite to that and is the last to act, making it the strongest position.

The dealer button, small blind & big blind positios, all rotate every round. The person in the big blind position is in the small blind position the following round, small blind gets the dealer button and the player sitting next to the big blind (clockwise) gets the big blind position. Rotations are made after each hand is played (to the end of course).

Winning the pot

In the case in which the best possible hand is the hand that is composed only with the cards on the table, after all 5 cards are set (River)
The pot is devided by all the players who have contributed to the pot. The pot is devided by the players involved and their contribution does not affect their payoff. In case players go all in, in the after the river, their bet made during the river round is returned and the pot is devided by all those who have called.

Blinds   

Blinds play a major role in hold em, essentially both blinds, the small and the big are required to be placed, there is, however one exeption. If the player who in the previous round was in the big blind -spot (being in the small blind spot this round) leaves the table the small blind is not required to be placed unless some other player sits at the mentioned spot, big blind however is always a must.

Raise

Minumum raise is usually 2 time greater than the big blind, some poker rooms however may have different rules for this.

High card

In case no-one in the game has a playable hand (any of the basic poker hands), the high-card dictates the winner. High card is the gretest card that each player has. Ace is considered to be the highest card on the table (14) unless low-value staright is possible (cards from ace to 5), in that case ace is valued as 1.

Same hand

If more than one player have hands that have the same value (anything below Royal Flush) the pot is devided between these players. (If there is no higher hand in posession of any other player of course.).