Texas hold'em in one paragraph: two private cards each, five shared on the board, and the best five of your seven at showdown, using both hole cards, one, or neither. There is no house edge to compute: you play other players, and the house takes its rake from the pot. What can be computed is every probability in the game, and this site enumerates rather than simulates them: all 1,326 starting combinations, all 1,712,304 boards for a given matchup, exact equity for every draw. A flush draw is 34.97% from flop to river; a pot-sized bet needs 33.3% equity to call; a pocket pair flops a set 11.76% of the time.
Every equity here is enumerated, not simulated: all 1,712,304 boards walked for each matchup, plus exact outs and pot-odds tables. See the computed hold'em odds →
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.