Texas Hold'em is a community card game. All players share the five board cards turned up in the middle of the table. This aspect of shared cards creates many exciting posibilities since many times the winner of the hand is determined not by the actual pairs that you have made with your hand, but by the side card (kicker) that you hold when the other card has made a pair. Position can be utilized in a very strong manner in this as well as all board games, since if you are the have the button (theoretical dealer), you are last to act on every betting round. "Tight up front" and "loose in the back" is the phrase most heard by Hold'em players in brick and mortar Casinos. Enormous amounts of action before and after the flop are created in Hold'em since many pots are jammed (many bets placed) by one player with high cards against another player with a pocket pair, each betting on the strength that they place on these particular hands.

In order to designate which player is the theoretical dealer in poker games, a round disk is used. This disk is called the dealer button or simply "the button".

After each hand is completed, the button moves clockwise to the next active player and this player will be considered to be the dealer, and will act on his/her hand last on each betting round. This is also termed playing the button for that game.

The player to the left of the button is first to receive a card and is required to post a small blind. The small blind is equal to half the lower limit bet rounded down to the nearest dollar. The player to the left of the small blind is required to post the big blind. The big blind is equal to the lower limit bet. These bets are referred to as blinds because players must post them before the dealer deals any cards to the players. These blinds are similar to the ante that is required in other games such as 7-Card Stud.

Both the small and the big blinds are considered live bets. They have the option of checking, calling, raising or folding when the betting action comes back around to their position. After the flop and after each subsequent betting round, the first active player left of the button is first to act.

When players first sit down to play, they will be required to post the equivalent of the big blind only once or they have the option to "sit out" until it is their natural turn to post the big blind. This rule is in place to ensure game fairness to all players. The rule prevents the possibility of players entering games in late position and then leaving before they are required to post the big blind.

There are four betting rounds for each game in Texas Hold'em.

Each bet on the first two rounds of betting is set at the lower limit of the stakes structure. For example in a $5/$10 game, all bets and raises are $5 for the first two rounds (after private cards are dealt and once the flop is spread in center of table).

The last two rounds of betting (turn card and river) are set at the higher limit of the stakes structure. For example in a $5/$10 game, all bets and raises are $10 for the last two rounds.

One bet plus three raises (four total bets) are the maximum amount of bets allowed per betting round. This would consist of (1) a bet, (2) a raise, (3) a re-raise, and (4) a cap. The term cap is used to describe the 3rd raise in a round since betting is then capped and can not be raised anymore. Once any player has made the third raise (capped the pot) then players will have only the option of calling or folding.

Check-raising is allowed in all games.

The last player to be called in a prior round is the first player to show their cards.

At the showdown players may use either: