Learn Texas Hold'em poker: rules, hand rankings and odds
This guide covers the essentials for getting started with, or improving at, No-Limit Texas Hold'em, the most popular poker variant. After that, the best way to improve is to practice: Braise lets you train for free against AI opponents, with no real money and with your winning chances calculated live.
Play for free →The rules in 2 minutes
- The blinds. Before each hand, the two players to the left of the dealer button post forced bets: the small blind and the big blind. They rotate every hand.
- Two hole cards are dealt face down to each player. First betting round.
- The flop: three community cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. Second betting round.
- The turn (4th card) and then the river (5th card), each followed by a betting round.
- The showdown: the remaining players show their cards. The best five-card hand out of the seven cards available wins the pot.
On your turn you can Check (pass without betting if nobody has bet), Call (match the bet), Bet or Raise, Fold (give up the hand), or go All-in (bet all your chips).
Poker hand rankings
From strongest to weakest, with the probability of finishing with each hand when using all 7 cards (2 hole cards + 5 community cards):
| Hand | Example | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 10 J Q K A of the same suit | 0.003% |
| Straight flush | 5 consecutive cards of the same suit | 0.03% |
| Four of a kind | 4 cards of the same rank | 0.17% |
| Full house | three of a kind + a pair | 2.6% |
| Flush | 5 cards of the same suit | 3.0% |
| Straight | 5 consecutive cards | 4.6% |
| Three of a kind | 3 cards of the same rank | 4.8% |
| Two pair | two different pairs | 23.5% |
| One pair | 2 cards of the same rank | 43.8% |
| High card | no combination | 17.4% |
Pot odds: should you call?
To know whether a call is profitable, compare your chances of winning to the price you have to pay:
Example: the pot is 100 and you are asked to call 50 → 50 ÷ 150 = 33%. If you win more than one time in three, calling is profitable in the long run.
In Braise, the beginner help automatically shows the pot odds and your chances of winning at every decision.
The rule of 4 and 2
Count your outs, the cards that would improve your hand. For example, with a flush draw, there are 9 cards of your suit left in the deck.
- On the flop, with two cards still to come: outs × 4 ≈ your chances in %. 9 outs → about 36%.
- On the turn, with one card still to come: outs × 2 ≈ your chances in %. 9 outs → about 18%.
Strategy for fast 3-player games
- The blinds rise quickly: after a few minutes, stacks get short. Below roughly 10 big blinds, you mostly play push or fold before the flop.
- Play more hands than at a full table: when 3-handed, a middle pair or an ace with a decent kicker is often ahead.
- Be aggressive: betting or raising wins pots without a showdown, while calling passively wears down your stack.
- Use position: acting last gives you valuable information.
- Watch for streaks: an opponent who is "on fire" often takes more risks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Braise free?
Yes, completely: no purchases, no ads. The chips are play money.
Can you win real money?
No. It is a simulation game for practice, for players aged 18 and over only.
Do I need to download an app?
No, the game runs in your browser, on desktop and on mobile. You can also add it to your Dock (Safari) or install it as an app (Chrome).
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