In Texas Holdem, the first step is to get the game started, and for this the players put out a certain sum of money. Posting the blinds is the frequently used term for this play. In the next step, the dealer shuffles the deck of cards and deals two cards face down to each player. A normal deck of 52 playing cards is used in the deal. Then there is the first round of betting. This round is usually known as a pre-flop.

After the first betting round, the top card of the deck is discarded. This discarded card is the burn card, and this is done to ensure there is no cheating. The next three cards are then flipped face up on the table. These cards are the flop. Now follows a second round of betting, after which the dealer burns another card and flips one more card onto the table. Following this, players can use the sixth card to form a five-card poker hand.

Another round of betting follows, and in many types of games, here is where the bet size doubles. There is another round of burning a card, and a final placing of a card face-up on the table. This is called the river. Players can now make use of any of the five cards on the table, or the two cards in their pocket, to form a five-card poker hand.

To finish it up there is another round of betting. After that, all the remaining players begin to reveal their hands. This is called the showdown. Obviously, the player who shows the best hand wins. When players have equal hands a sharing of the winnings is considered.

Texas Holdem is a simple game to learn, but to achieve expertise one needs a lot of practice.