Poker Texas Holdem

Game rules

The ultimate goal of the game is to win a maximum of money, which is commonly represented by tokens. If you run out of money, the game is over for you.

In each round, each player has the opportunity to win the bet, more commonly called the pot. To win a bet, you must either convince all other players to abandon the round (fold), or make a better card combination after four bet subrounds.

Beginning of the round

At the beginning of the round, the dealer deals two cards to each player. Then the player after the dealer pays the small blind, the next player pays the big blind which is exactly twice the small blind. These are forced bets to compel players to enter the game. Then, the player after the one who paid the big blind goes first in the first bet subround.
For next three bet subrounds, the player immediately after the dealer goes first.

Bet subround

When it's your turn, you have three options:

When all players except those who have folded have paid the same number of tokens in the pot, then the bet subround is finished.

You can also bluff. Bluffing consists of making other players believe that you have good cards, but in fact you know that it is not really the case. For example, you could raise by an important sum.
Raising by a huge sum can discourage other players, making them fold, so that you may win the pot if you are the last one who hasn't folded.
You can also do the opposite, that is do not importantly raise and keep simply following when having excellent cards, so that other players will follow until the end of the round, and therefore win even more tokens.

The psychology of bluff is a very important aspect of the game, what makes it much more than a simple luck game. One can win with very bad cards and lose with good ones. It is sometimes said that a poker expert doesn't even need to look at his cards to win.
A player who has bet all their tokens is said to be all in. This is a risky action, because if they lose, then they have no tokens anymore and are in consequence out of the game.

First bet subround: preflop

The first bet subround is called preflop. By looking at the two cards in your hand only, a bet subround as explained above begins. The bet per player is at that moment equal to the big blind and the first player to bet is the player immediately after the one who paid the big blind.

When that bet subround ends, the second one, the flop, begins.

Second bet subround: flop

Before beginning the second bet subround, the dealer puts three cards on the table. These cards are common to all players and can be used to create the first card combinations.
By looking at your two private cards in your hand and the three on the table, a second bet subround is started as explained above. The player right after the dealer goes first.
When the second bet subround is finished, the third takes place.

Third bet subround

Before starting the third bet subround, a fourth card is returned on the table. You can now make cards combinations with 5 of the 6 cards you have at your disposal. Best combinations have always at most 5 cards, there is no combination with 6 cards. You should choose which cards to keep in your combination and which to discard.
At the end of the third bet subround, the fourth and last one begins.

Fourth and last bet subround

Before beginning the last bet subround, a fifth and last card is placed on the table. You can now make a combination with 5 of the 7 available cards. In fact, you can choose not to use your personal cards and only rely on public cards, but it is often completely useless.
At the end of this bet subround, if there are at least two players who haven't yet folded, then it's time to show your cards and reveal your combination.

Show your cards

After four bet subrounds, Now it's time to show your cards and tell the combination you made. The player who has the best combination wins the entire pot (except special cases).
On the playroom, you don't have to explicitly tell which cards you chose to make your combination. The best possible one is automatically found for you.
The different combinations you can make and their values are described below.
If two or more players have exactly the same combination, the pot must be shared.

Card combinations

Here is the list of all poker combinations allowed, from the weakest to the strongest.
A stronger combination always wins over a weaker one (For example, a three of 2 always wins over a double pair of aces and kings).
When two players own the same combination, the strongest card included in the combination wins, eventually followed by the second and the third in case of equality.
In general, suits (hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs) are not very important. If a player can't make any combination, then the highest of his two cards is taken into account.

Pair

The pair is the simplest but the weakest combination. It is two cards with the same value, plus any three other cards. Example: jack of hearts and jack of clubs forms a pair of jacks.

Double pair

A double pair is two groups of two cards with the same value, plus any other card. For example, two aces and two 10s.

Three of a kind

A three of a kind is a set of three identical cards, plus two any other cards. For example, three queens form a three of queens.

Straight

A straight is a set of 5 cards having consecutive values. For example, an 8, a 9, a 10, a jack and a queen form a straight starting at queen.

Flush

A flush consists of 5 cards having the same suit. A suit means here hearts, spades, diamonds or clubs, not red or black. This is the only combination where the suit is important.

Full house

A full house is the combination of a three of a kind and a pair, that is three identical cards plus two other identical cards. For example, three 8s and two 6s form a full house at 8 and 6.

Four of a kind or poker

A four of a kind, sometimes simply just called poker, is a set of 4 identical cards plus any other card. For example, four aces form a four of a kind or a poker of aces.

Straight flush

A straight flush is the combination of a straight and a suit. In other words, it is five cards of the same suit and with consecutive values.
The straight flush ace, king, queen, jack, 10 is called a royal flush, because it is the ultimate unbeatable card combination of the game.

Special cases in combinations

Special cases in bet win

If two or more players own exactly the same combination, then the pot must be shared between concerned players.

There are also special cases in win distribution when a player has gone all in.
If they win, then they can only win as many tokens from other players as they have invested.

Keystroke summary