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Learn To Play Texas Holdem Poker Online
Of all the poker variants out there, it's Texas Holdem that deserves the title of the "King of Pokers." It's a game that takes only a few minutes to learn but years to master. The thrill, strategy, and unpredictability will keep you coming back for more. And now, you can enjoy all the exciting Texas Holdem poker online at Natural8, the best online poker platform around!
Are you ready to master your game and learn how to win big? Below, we've outlined how to play Texas Holdem poker online for beginners, giving you the basic rules and information you need to get started with numerous tips on how to enhance your poker strategy.
Create your free Natural8 account, claim your welcome bonuses, and enjoy a variety of limit and no-limit poker cash games and tournaments!
What is Texas Holdem Poker
Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker variant in the world. It's played with a standard 52 card deck, and there can be between 2-10 players at a poker table. Of course, other poker games are popular too, but when it comes to poker tournaments and online poker sites, Texas Hold'em is an undisputed king.
The game starts with the dealer giving every player two hole cards. Learning how to deal in Texas Holdem is easy. Cards are dealt clockwise one by one face down until all players have 2 cards which are referred to as hole cards. Once each player receives their cards, four betting rounds start (we'll outline them below), resulting in five cards being dealt face-up on the table for every player to see. These are called community cards.
The goal of the game is simple. You need to use your hole cards and the community cards to make the best five-card hand possible. If no other player can match your cards or they fold beforehand, you win the main prize which is called the 'pot'.
Below is an example of two sets of hold cards and community cards:
Player A’s Hole Cards
Community Cards
Player B’s Hole Cards
Texas Holdem Rules & Gameplay
Positions
Big Blind
The player on the left of the small blind. The big blind is the same as the minimum bet size.
Small Blind
The player immediately left of the dealer has to post the small blind.
Third Blind
At tables that feature a Third Blind, the player immediately to the left of the Big Blind has to post the Third Blind which is double the of Big Blind.
Dealer
Each hand has one designated dealer. The dealer position determines the small and big blind positions. The dealer button is passed clockwise after every hand.
Actions
Fold
The player feels they can't win the hand, so they forfeit any chips they have in the pot. They give their hole cards back to the dealer without showing them to anyone else. Players who fold will then be out of the game and will not be able to return in the middle of the hand.
Check
If there is no new bet, the player can pass the bet to the next player without betting or folding. But if another player raises before the round of betting is complete, the player will then need to call, re-raise, or fold.
Bet
The player bets a certain amount based on the strength of his cards (or they can bluff if they're feeling adventurous). The bet must be more than the Big Blind.
Call
If a bet has been made before it reaches the player, they can choose to call to match the amount of current bet. If they don't have enough to match the bet but still want to play, they can go ""All-In,"" but can only win the number of chips they have contributed to the pot.
Raise
The player can choose to bet more than the other bets that have been made so far. Bear in mind that it has to be at least double any previous bets made in that particular round.
All-in
The player can risk it all and bet or raise their full stack (the total number of chips they possess), leaving nothing behind.
Betting Rounds
There are four betting rounds in Texas Hold'em.
Pre-Flop
Everybody gets their first two cards (Hole Cards)
The preflop betting round takes place after the dealer deals each player their hole cards. The player to the left of the big blind starts the round of betting and can either call, raise, or fold the big blind. In the no-limit Texas Hold'em game, the minimum opening raise has to be at least twice the big blind. Betting continues clockwise until all bets are resolved.
The Flop
3 Community (Everyone's) cards are dealt
The second betting round in Texas Hold'em is called the flop. The first three community cards are dealt, and the second round of betting begins. Again, each player has to take action, but they can now check in addition to the three actions available during the first round.
The Turn
A 4th community card is dealt
A fourth card called "the turn" is dealt and this is followed by another round of betting. The additional card can completely alter players' actions as their hands get stronger or weaker. Again, each player can fold, call, raise, check, or go all-in.
The River
A final 5th community card is dealt
Once the fifth and final community card is dealt, the final betting round commences. You now need to see your strongest hand and figure out if your competition has a stronger hand, missed a card they were chasing, or are they bluffing to win the pot. All players must now decide whether to bet, call, raise, or fold.
The Showdown
If there are 2 or more remaining active players they will go to the Showdown.
If two or more players are left after the betting action ends on the river, you enter the showdown where all remaining players will need to show their cards. The player with the strongest five card hard will take the pot. If the hand is a tie, the pot is split evenly.
Texas Holdem Hands Ranked
As with any other poker game, there are stronger and weaker hands. The goal is to use either one or both of your hole cards with the community cards and create the best possible hand. However, to do that, you must first understand how poker hand rankings work. To help you with that, we've created a rundown of all possible hands in Texas Holdem ranked from best to worst.
| Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
Royal Flush |
The best possible hand in Texas Hold'em is the royal flush. It consists of five same suit cards ranked from ace to ten. |  |
Straight Flush |
Next on the list is the straight flush, which consists of five same suit consecutive cards, for example, 5-6-7-8-9 all in hearts. |  |
Four-of-a-Kind |
A four-of-a-kind hand means four cards of the same value, for example, four Aces. |  |
Full House |
A full house consists of three cards of the same value with the addition of a pair. An example - three Aces and two threes. |  |
Flush |
A flush means five same suit cards in no particular order. |  |
Straight |
A straight in poker consists of five consecutive cards that aren't in the same suit. The highest possible variation is from ace to ten. |  |
Three-of-a-Kind |
It works like four-of-a-kind only with three cards of the same value instead of four. |  |
Two Pair |
Two pairs of different ranks. |  |
One Pair |
Two cards of the same value. |  |
High Card |
The lowest possible hand is a high card. Basically, it occurs when hole cards and community cards don't produce any combination and the highest card wins. |  |
No Limit Hold'em Table Information
6-MAX
| Stake | Table Name | Blinds | Buy-ins | Max Players | Rake (%) | Rake Cap (2~3) | Rake Cap (4+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | NLH Diamond | $5 ~ $10 | $200 ~ $1000 | 6 | 5% | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| NLH Platinum | $2 ~ $5 | $100 ~ $500 | 6 | 5% | $4.00 | $8.00 | |
| Middle | NLH Gold | $1 ~ $2 | $40 ~ $200 | 6 | 5% | $3.00 | $6.00 |
| NLH Silver | $0.5 ~ $1 | $20 ~ $100 | 6 | 5% | $2.50 | $5.00 | |
| NLH Bronze | $0.25 ~ $0.5 | $10 ~ $50 | 6 | 5% | $2.00 | $4.00 | |
| Low | NLH Purple | $0.1 ~ $0.25 | $5 ~ $25 | 6 | 5% | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| NLH Red | $0.05 ~ $0.1 | $2 ~ $10 | 6 | 5% | $0.50 | $1.00 | |
| NLH Blue | $0.02 ~ $0.05 | $1 ~ $5 | 6 | 5% | $0.25 | $0.50 | |
| NLH Yellow | $0.01 ~ $0.02 | $0.5 ~ $2 | 6 | 5% | $0.10 | $0.20 |
8-Max Third Blind
| Table Name | BB | SB | TB | Ante | Buy-ins | Max Players | Rake (%) | Rake Cap (2~3) | Rake Cap (4+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLH3B Red | $0.05 | $0.10 | $0.20 | -$0.05 | $10 ~ $100 | 8 | 5% | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| NLH3B Blue | $0.02 | $0.05 | $0.10 | -$0.02 | $5 ~ $50 | 8 | 5% | $0.25 | $0.50 |
| NLH3B Yellow | $0.01 | $0.02 | $0.04 | -$0.01 | $2 ~ $20 | 8 | 5% | $0.10 | $0.20 |
VIP Games
| Table Name | Blinds (Ante) | Buy-ins | Max Players | Rake (%) | Rake Cap (2~3) | Rake Cap (4+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VH Straddle | $500 ~ $1000 ($200) | $100000 ~ $200000 | 6 | 5% | $40.00 | $80.00 |
| VH Ante | $500 ~ $1000 ($200) | $100000 ~ $200000 | 6 | 5% | $40.00 | $80.00 |
| VH Straddle | $200 ~ $400 ($200) | $80000 ~ $200000 | 6 | 5% | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| VH Ante | $200 ~ $400 ($100) | $16000 ~ $80000 | 6 | 5% | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| VH Deep | $200 ~ $400 | $20000 ~ $80000 | 6 | 5% | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| VH Standard | $200 ~ $400 | $8000 ~ $40000 | 6 | 5% | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| VH Blitz | $100 ~ $200 ($100) | $40000 ~ $100000 | 6 | 5% | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| VH Ante | $100 ~ $200 ($50) | $8000 ~ $40000 | 6 | 5% | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| VH Deep | $100 ~ $200 | $10000 ~ $40000 | 6 | 5% | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| VH Standard | $100 ~ $200 | $4000 ~ $20000 | 6 | 5% | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| VH Ante | $50 ~ $100 ($25) | $4000 ~ $20000 | 6 | 5% | $17.50 | $35.00 |
| VH Deep | $50 ~ $100 | $5000 ~ $20000 | 6 | 5% | $17.50 | $35.00 |
| VH Standard | $50 ~ $100 | $2000 ~ $10000 | 6 | 5% | $17.50 | $35.00 |
| VH Ante | $25 ~ $50 ($10) | $2000 ~ $10000 | 6 | 5% | $12.50 | $25.00 |
| VH Deep | $25 ~ $50 | $2500 ~ $10000 | 6 | 5% | $12.50 | $25.00 |
| VH Standard | $25 ~ $50 | $1000 ~ $5000 | 6 | 5% | $12.50 | $25.00 |
*3-bet pots preflop are raked. In a single raised pot preflop where everyone folds, there is no rake. All pots that see a flop are raked.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there a minimum number of players at a No Limit Hold’em table?
Yes, the minimum number of players at a table is 2.
Is there a maximum number of players at a No Limit Hold’em table?
Yes, the maximum number of players at a table is 6.
What does No Limit refer to in Hold’em Poker?
This refers to the amount you can bet at any one time. In this case, there is No Limit so you can bet as much as you want.
What are buy-ins?
Buy-ins refer to the amount of money you have to use to buy into the game. There are different buy-in levels on Natural8, so you can choose the one you are most comfortable with.
What is rake?
Rake is a commission fee taken by a poker room for operating the game. Rake is common in the industry and generally equals 5-10% of the pot in each hand.
Terms & Conditions
- Players must be aged 18 and above to participate in this promotion.
- This game uses 1 deck of 52 cards and the deck is shuffled after each hand.
- Amount committed to the pot will still be in play in the event of a disconnection. Natural8 players accept the risk of internet disconnection, due to problems with the connection between their device(s) and the servers, lag or freeze or some other problem in the player’s device(s) or how that device accesses the internet.
- This promotion is subject to the terms and conditions of the Natural8 website.
- Natural8 is an advocate of safer gambling. If you feel you might have an online gambling problem, do seek further advice or counseling at begambleaware
