Rules & Flow
- Blinds rotate each hand: small blind (SB) and big blind (BB).
- Deal: 2 hole cards per player → betting round (preflop).
- Flop (3 community cards) → bet; Turn (1) → bet; River (1) → bet.
- Actions: check, bet, call, raise, fold. Last aggressor shows first at showdown.
- Win by: best 5‑card hand at showdown or all others folding.
Hand Rankings
| Rank | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠ | Top straight flush |
| Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Five in a row, same suit |
| Four of a Kind | Q♦ Q♠ Q♥ Q♣ x | Quads |
| Full House | J♦ J♣ J♥ 7♣ 7♠ | Trips + pair |
| Flush | A♦ T♦ 7♦ 4♦ 2♦ | Any five same suit |
| Straight | 9♠ 8♦ 7♣ 6♣ 5♥ | A can be high or low |
| Three of a Kind | 8♠ 8♦ 8♥ x x | Trips/Set |
| Two Pair | K♣ K♦ 5♣ 5♥ x | — |
| One Pair | A♣ A♥ x x x | — |
| High Card | A‑high | — |
Beginner Strategy
- Tighter early positions; wider opens on button/cutoff.
- Value strong starts: pairs, big Broadway, suited aces in position.
- C‑bet favorable boards; slow down on wet textures.
- Bankroll: choose stakes you can comfortably afford; track sessions.
Intermediate Strategy
- 3‑bet for value vs loose opens; add suited broadways as bluffs.
- Think in ranges; pressure capped ranges on certain boards.
- Plan by SPR (stack‑to‑pot ratio); size bets to deny equity.
- Table/seat select: sit left of the most aggressive opponent.
Advanced Concepts
- GTO vs exploit: balance frequencies; deviate when opponents over/under‑fold.
- 4‑bet ranges with blockers; polarized vs linear by position.
- ICM (tournaments): adjust near bubbles and pay jumps.
Variants & Formats
- Cash vs Tournaments: deep‑stack edges vs survival dynamics.
- 6‑max vs Full Ring: wider ranges and aggression in 6‑max.
- Deepstack vs Turbo: postflop edges vs push‑fold emphasis.
- Live vs Online: pace, tells, and pools differ—adapt.
Common Mistakes
- Overvaluing one‑pair hands on coordinated boards.
- Calling too wide out of position; chasing draws without odds.
- Tilt: playing tired or emotionally charged; chasing losses.
Glossary
- VPIP: Voluntarily put money in pot.
- PFR: Preflop raise percentage.
- C‑bet: Continuation bet by preflop aggressor.
- OESD: Open‑ended straight draw; gutshot inside draw.
- Blocker: Card that removes opponent combos.
- ICM: Independent Chip Model for tournaments.