Here are the basic rules to No Limit Texas Hold'em, the poker game which has become a global phenomenon enjoyed by millions of players.

Dealing and Betting Rounds

The Blinds

At the beginning of each hand before any cards are dealt, two players are forced to make a blind bet into the pot. These two bets are called the small blind (SB) and the big blind (BB). The small blind is always posted by the player sitting immediately left of the dealer, while the big blind is posted by the player two positions left of the dealer.

In games where the dealer remains the same person, such as in online or casino poker, a special marker called "the button" is used to mark the dealer for that hand. The button rotates around the table in a clockwise direction, moving one position after every hand played so that every player at the table will be forced to make a blind bet at some point.

Before the Flop

Starting with the player in the small blind position, each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the "hole cards." The hole cards for each player can only be looked at and used by that player. After the hole cards are dealt, a round of betting takes place.

The Flop

If there are still players in the hand, then three community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These cards are called "the flop" and can be seen and used by all of the players at the table. A second round of betting takes place after the flop.

The Turn

If there are still players in the hand, then another community card is dealt face up in the center of the table. This card is called "the turn" or "fourth street." As with the flop, this card can be used by any player. A third betting round takes place after the turn has been dealt.

The River

If more than one player remains after the turn, then a fifth and final community card is dealt face up in the center of the table. This card is called "the river" or "fifth street" and like the previous community cards, can be used by all the remaining players. After the river is dealt, one final betting round takes place.

Showdown

One the final round of betting has been completed, all the remaining players must reveal their hole cards and the winner of the hand is determined and awarded the pot.

Betting Options

During their turn during each betting round, players can choose from a number of different betting options.

Check

If there is no bet on the table, players have the option to "check." When a player checks, no action is taken and they pass on their turn to the next player.

Fold

When a player does not want to call a bet and no longer wishes to participate in the hand, he or she can "fold." Once a player has folded and thrown their cards to the dealer, they cannot change their mind, and must wait for the next hand. While a player can fold at any time, if there is no bet on the table it is always a good idea to simply "check" in the hopes of seeing an additional card for free.

Bet

During a betting round, if no bets have previously been made, then a player may "bet." When a player bets, he or she places a certain amount of chips in front of their cards. In No Limit Hold'em, the bet can be of any amount, as long as it is at least the size of the big blind. Players can even bet all of their chips at once, which is called "going all in". If a player is all in, they can do nothing more and must wait for all other players to fold, or for the showdown stage.

Once a player bets, the other players at the table must meet that bet in order to remain in the hand. If a player does not want to call or raise the bet, he or she must fold.

Raise

If another player has already placed a bet during a betting round, players have the option to either call that bet, or "raise." A raise is an additional bet on top of the first one. For example, if one player bets 5, the next player can match that 5, and then raise an additional 5 to equal 10. When a player raises, all other players, including the original bettor, must match the raise in order to stay in the hand.

Call

The other option when faced with a bet is to "call" that bet. When a player calls, they match the current bet and are able to continue playing in that hand.

How are turns determined?

Play always moves clockwise around the table, generally starting from the first position to the left of the dealer, with the dealer always acting last. In the event that players fold during the hand, the action always moves to the next player who remains in the hand.

One exception to this is during the pre-flop betting round. In that case, the first person to act is the player to the left of the big blind, as the blinds are considered to have already made a bet. During the first round, all players must at least call the big blind amount in order to play the rest of the hand, with the big blind player acting last.

Winning the Hand

The winner of the hand is determined one of two ways. The simplest way to win a hand is to induce all of the other players to fold their cards, with only one player remaining. In this case, that player wins the pot, and does not have to reveal their hole cards to the other players.

The other way to win is to reach the showdown and have the best five-card hand. Players have the option of using any combination of their two hole cards and five community cards in order to make the best hand possible.

During the showdown, the remaining players turn their hole cards face up, and the winner of the pot is the player (or occasionally players) who have the best five card poker hand out of their seven cards.