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Try the rules with a small CoinPoker depositPoker Game Rules Guide
Learn poker rules for Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 3-Card Poker, 5-Card Draw, and Seven-Card Stud, including betting order, dealing, and showdown rules.
Poker rules quick answer
Poker is a family of card games in which players bet on ranked hands. In Texas Hold'em, each player gets two private cards and shares five community cards. A hand moves through preflop, flop, turn, river, and showdown, unless every player but one folds first. Other poker games change the deal and hand-building rules.
- Texas Hold'em lets you use both, one, or neither of your hole cards in the final five-card hand.
- Omaha requires exactly two hole cards and exactly three community cards.
- Five Card Draw has one draw and no community cards in the standard version.
- Seven Card Stud uses antes and exposed cards instead of blinds and a shared board.
Poker game rules compared
The deal is the easiest way to tell these games apart. House rules can change limits, antes, and payout tables, but the hand-building rules below define each standard game.
| Game | Private cards | Shared cards | Betting rounds | Hand-building rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold'em | 2 | 5 | 4 | Best five from any combination of 7 available cards |
| Pot Limit Omaha | 4 | 5 | 4 | Use exactly 2 private cards and exactly 3 shared cards |
| Five Card Draw | 5 | None | 2 | One draw, then the best five-card hand |
| Seven Card Stud | 7 total | None | 5 | Best five cards from your own seven-card hand |
| Three Card Poker | 3 | None | Fixed decision | Three-card rankings and the posted table payout rules apply |
Poker betting actions in plain English
Use clear words when chips are in play. The 2024 Poker TDA rules recognize bet, raise, call, fold, check, all-in, complete, and pot in pot-limit games as standard declarations.
| Action | Meaning | When it is available |
|---|---|---|
| Check | Pass without betting | No bet is facing you |
| Bet | Put the first chips into the pot | The action is unopened |
| Call | Match the current bet | A bet or raise is facing you |
| Raise | Increase the current bet | Action is open and a full raise is legal |
| Fold | Give up the hand | Whenever you face action |
| All-in | Commit your remaining stack | When it is your turn to act |
Poker rules that change from one game to another
Start with the house rules. Poker rooms can use different buy-ins, betting caps, antes, time limits, and procedures for unusual situations. This guide follows the 2026 WSOP live-action rules for the main game formats and the 2024 Poker TDA rules for tournament procedure. If a posted house rule differs, the house rule controls that game.
A Texas Hold'em hand starts with the small blind and big blind. Each player receives two cards, then the first betting round runs clockwise from the player left of the big blind. After the flop, turn, and river, action starts with the first active player left of the dealer button. A hand ends immediately when everyone but one player folds; otherwise, the remaining players compare five-card hands at showdown.
The most important Omaha rule is the two-plus-three requirement. You must use exactly two of your four hole cards and exactly three board cards. One suited hole card is not enough to make a flush, even when four cards of that suit are on the board. That single rule causes more beginner mistakes than the pot-limit betting calculation.
An all-in player can win only the chips they were eligible to contest. If one player is all-in for $40 and two opponents continue to $100, the first $120 forms the main pot and the extra $120 forms a side pot between the two deeper stacks. The dealer or poker client should keep those pots separate until the showdown.
Three Card Poker needs its own warning because it is a casino game rather than peer-to-peer poker. The dealer qualification rule, Pair Plus treatment, Ante Bonus, and payouts come from the posted table rules. A pay table from one casino should not be assumed to apply at another.
Sources and methodology
- 2026 World Series of Poker Official Live Action Rules: Primary rules for Hold'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, betting structures, and live-game procedure.
- 2024 Poker TDA Rules: Current tournament procedure, official betting terms, all-in showdowns, and action rules.
- California Bureau of Gambling Control Three Card Poker Rules: Regulator-published example of dealer qualification, Play decisions, and table-specific wagers.
Rules Guide questions
What are the basic rules of poker?
Players receive cards, take turns checking, betting, calling, raising, or folding, and try to win the pot. The pot goes to the last player remaining after folds or to the best eligible hand at showdown. The exact deal and number of betting rounds depend on the poker variant.
What is the betting order in Texas Hold'em?
Before the flop, the player immediately left of the big blind acts first and the big blind acts last if nobody raises. On the flop, turn, and river, the first active player left of the dealer button acts first.
Do you have to use both hole cards in Texas Hold'em?
No. In Texas Hold'em you may use both hole cards, one hole card, or neither. Your result is always the strongest five-card hand available from your two hole cards and the five community cards.
How are Omaha poker rules different from Hold'em?
Omaha gives each player four hole cards, and the final hand must use exactly two of them with exactly three community cards. Hold'em gives each player two hole cards and lets the player use any combination of hole and board cards.
What happens when a poker player goes all-in?
An all-in player stays in the hand but cannot win chips above the amount they matched. Further bets between players with chips remaining form one or more side pots. Each pot is awarded separately to the best eligible hand.
Does a straight beat a flush in Three Card Poker?
Yes. Standard Three Card Poker ranks a straight above a flush because three-card straights are less common. The usual order is straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, and high card, but the table's posted rules and payout schedule still control.
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