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Learn Texas Hold'em from scratch
From the basic rules to the math of calling: short guides for beginners and for players who want to get better. Read, then try it at the table with virtual chips.
- How to play Texas Hold'em: the complete rulesBlinds, hole cards, flop, turn, river and showdown: the rules of Texas Hold'em explained from scratch, with example hands.
- Poker hand rankings, from best to worstThe 10 poker hands in order, with card examples, the odds of making each one in Texas Hold'em and how ties are broken.
- Small blind, big blind and the button: who acts first in pokerWhat the small blind, the big blind and the button are, why they exist, who acts first in each round and how the minimum bet works.
- Ties in poker: the kicker, playing the board and split potsWho wins when two players have the same hand: the best five cards, the kicker, when the board plays and how the pot is split.
- Types of poker: Texas Hold'em, Omaha and other variantsThe main poker variants, how each one works, the difference between limit and no-limit and between cash games and tournaments.
- Starting hands: which ones to play before the flopWhich of the 169 Texas Hold'em starting hands are worth playing, how position changes everything and why suited isn't that special.
- Position in poker: why the button is the best seat at the tableUTG, cutoff, button and blinds: what each position is at a 6-handed table, why acting last is worth chips and how to adjust your hands.
- Poker odds: the probability of every handThe chance of being dealt a pair, of flopping a set, of making each hand by the river, and who is the favorite in the most common matchups.
- Outs and pot odds: the math that decides the callHow to count outs, the rule of 2 and 4 to estimate your chance, and how to compare it with the price of the pot to know if a call pays.
- Continuation bet (c-bet): when to bet again on the flopWhat a continuation bet is, why it works, which flops to bet, which to give up on and what size to use in each case.
- How to bluff in poker (and when not to)What makes a bluff work, the best moments to bluff, the semi-bluff and the mistakes that turn a bluff into a chip donation.
- How much to bet: the right size for every betHow much to raise before the flop, how much to bet on the flop, turn and river, and why bet size changes what your opponent does.
- Types of poker players and how to play against each oneTight or loose, passive or aggressive: how to recognize each opponent's style at the table and what to change in your game against them.
- All-in and side pots: how the pot is splitWhat happens when someone goes all-in with fewer chips than the others: the main pot, side pots and who can win each one.
- Tilt and bankroll management: how not to lose it all on a bad nightWhat tilt is, how to notice you are on tilt and what to do about it, and how to pick the right table for the size of your chip stack.
- 10 common mistakes poker beginners makePlaying too many hands, calling for no reason, ignoring position and more: the mistakes that cost the most chips early on and how to fix each one.
- Free poker: how to learn and practice without spending moneyHow to play Texas Hold'em for free with virtual chips, what to practice at each stage and how to measure whether you are improving.
- Poker glossary: the terms you'll hear at the tableAll-in, c-bet, kicker, nuts, outs, tilt and other poker terms explained in plain English, in alphabetical order.