What You'll Need
A standard 52-card deck, poker chips (or anything for betting), and 2-10 players. You'll also need a dealer button to track who deals each hand.
Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)
- Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit
- Straight Flush — Five consecutive cards of the same suit
- Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank
- Full House — Three of a kind plus a pair
- Flush — Five cards of the same suit
- Straight — Five consecutive cards of any suit
- Three of a Kind — Three cards of the same rank
- Two Pair — Two different pairs
- One Pair — Two cards of the same rank
- High Card — Highest single card wins
Setup
Before each hand, the two players left of the dealer post blinds — forced bets to create action. The small blind (left of dealer) posts half the minimum bet, and the big blind posts the full minimum bet.
How a Hand Plays
Pre-Flop
Each player receives 2 hole cards face down. Starting left of the big blind, players can fold (give up), call (match the big blind), or raise (increase the bet). Action continues around until all bets are matched.
The Flop
The dealer burns one card and deals 3 community cards face up in the center. Another betting round begins, starting with the first active player left of the dealer.
The Turn
One more card is burned, and a 4th community card is dealt. Another betting round follows.
The River
One final card is burned, and the 5th and last community card is dealt. The final betting round begins.
Showdown
Remaining players reveal their hands. The best 5-card hand using any combination of hole cards and community cards wins the pot.
Betting Options
- Check — Pass action (only if no bet has been made)
- Bet — Put chips in the pot
- Call — Match the current bet
- Raise — Increase the current bet
- Fold — Give up your hand and sit out
Tips & Strategy
Starting hand selection is everything. Don't play every hand — fold weak hands pre-flop. Premium starting hands include AA, KK, QQ, AK suited, and JJ. Position matters. Acting last gives you more information. Play tighter from early position and looser from late position.
Don't chase bad draws. If you need one specific card to complete your hand, the odds are usually against you. Pay attention to betting patterns — how much and when someone bets tells you a lot about their hand.
For home games: Start with 50-100 big blinds per player. Use a timer to increase blinds every 15-20 minutes for a tournament format.