How to Play Poker for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Ever watched poker on TV and thought it looked exciting but complicated? You’re not alone!

Learning how to play poker for beginners might seem daunting, but we’ll break it down into simple steps. This guide focuses on Texas Hold’em—the most popular version of poker. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from basic rules to playing your first hand. Don’t worry about complex tactics yet (we’ve got another strategy guide for that). Let’s focus on getting you comfortable with the basics.

Step 1: Learn Poker Hand Rankings and What Beats What

Just like learning the alphabet before writing stories, you need to know which hands beat others before playing. Your goal is to make the best five-card hand possible.

Hand Rankings From Best to Worst:

• Royal Flush (10 to Ace of the same suit) 
• Straight Flush (five cards in order, same suit)
• Four of a Kind (like having all four aces)
• Full House (three of one card, two of another)
• Flush (five cards of the same suit)
• Straight (five cards in order, any suits)
• Three of a Kind (three matching cards)
• Two Pair (two different pairs)
• One Pair (two matching cards)
• High Card (your highest single card)

Tips for Hand Rankings:
As you’re learning, start with recognizing basic pairs and work your way up to more complex hands. Remember that all suits are equal in poker, so a heart flush isn’t any better than a diamond flush. Practice spotting these hands in order until they become second nature.

Step 2: Place the Blinds on the Table

Before any cards are dealt, poker needs something to get the action started—that’s where blinds come in. These forced bets create an initial pot worth fighting for. One blind is equal to one “minimum bet”—meaning in a $1/$2 game, one blind is $2.

Blind Positions on the Poker Table:

• Small blind (half the minimum bet) goes first
• Big blind (full minimum bet) goes next
• Players take turns paying blinds each hand
• Blinds move one spot left each time

Understanding Blinds:
Your position relative to blinds affects which hands to play. In a $1/$2 game, the small blind pays $1 while the big blind pays $2. 

Watch the dealer button carefully to know when it’s your turn to pay. As a new player, focus first on playing well from the blind positions.

Step 3: Deal the Cards to Players

After the blinds are set, everyone gets two cards face-down. These are your hole cards – your secret weapons at the table. Keep them secret until the showdown comes later in the hand.

Receiving Your Cards:

• Dealer gives one card at a time
• Each player gets exactly two cards
• Only you can see your cards
• Keep them hidden at all times
• Dealing moves clockwise

Card Protection Basics:
Safeguard your hole cards by keeping them flat on the table, protected by your hands. Try to only look at them just once and remember what you have—repeated checking can give away information to other players. If you need to check your cards again, wait for a calm moment when attention is elsewhere.

Step 4: Your First Decision – Choose a Preflop Action

Now comes your first chance to play. In the “preflop” round, action starts left of the big blind and moves clockwise. Each player decides whether they want in on the action. This first betting round sets up how the rest of the hand will play out.

Available Actions:

• Call: Match the current bet (usually the big blind)
• Raise: Increase the bet to put pressure on others
• Fold: Give up your hand if it’s not worth playing
• Action moves clockwise until everyone’s decided

Playing Your First Hands:
Take your time when making decisions—poker isn’t a race. Start by playing only your strongest hands and watch how other players act before you make your move. Your position at the table matters, so pay attention to where you’re sitting relative to the dealer button. When in doubt, folding is always a safe choice.

Step 5: Start the Flop and Reveal Three Cards

After the first betting round, three cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. These community cards change everything – they’re shared by all players and often determine who’s really ahead. Now another round of betting begins, starting with the first active player left of the dealer.

Flop Basics:

• Three community cards appear at once
• Everyone can use these shared cards
• Action starts left of the dealer
• You can check (pass) if no one has bet
• If someone bets, you must call, raise, or fold

Making Flop Decisions:
Evaluate how the flop helps your hand and what it might have given your opponents. Pay attention to possible drawing hands that could improve on later streets. If you have a strong hand, consider betting to build the pot. If you’re unsure, checking lets you see what others do before risking your chips.

Step 6: Start the Turn and Reveal One Card

After the flop betting ends, a fourth community card appears face-up on the turn. This is where pots often grow bigger because players now have a clearer picture of their hand strength. The betting works just like the flop – first active player left of the dealer starts the action.

Turn Card Actions:

• Fourth community card is dealt
• Another full round of betting
• Pots typically get larger here
• Same betting options as before
• Position becomes even more important

Making Turn Decisions:
Look at the new card and ask yourself if it helps your hand. Think about whether it might have helped your opponents too. Don’t feel like you have to bet big just because others do—there’s still one more card coming. If you’re unsure, it’s perfectly fine to play it safe.

Step 7: Start the River and Reveal One Card

The fifth and final community card hits the table on the river. With all cards now visible, this is your last chance to act before hands are revealed. Bets on the river are often the largest since players are making their final moves with complete information.

River Actions:

• Final community card appears
• Last betting round of the hand
• Biggest decisions happen here
• No more cards to come
• Must make final choice to bet or fold

Making River Decisions:
This is it—you now know exactly what you have. If you think you’ve got the best hand, you might want to bet. But if someone bets big into you, take a moment to think if your hand is really strong enough to win. It’s okay to fold here even after playing the whole hand.

Step 8: Have a Showdown and Find a Winner

If multiple players remain after the river betting, it’s time for a showdown and see who wins. The player who made the last aggressive bet shows first, or if no bets were made, the first active player left of the dealer reveals their hand.

Showdown Basics:

• Best five-card hand wins
• Use any combination of your two cards and the board
• Must show all cards to claim the pot
• In case of a tie, pot is split
• Dealer announces the winning hand

Showdown Tips:
When it’s your turn, show both your cards clearly. Pay attention to what hands others were playing with—it helps you learn what kinds of hands win at showdown. Don’t feel bad if you lose; every hand teaches you something useful for next time.

Step 9: Shuffle Up and Start Another Hand

The action never stops for long in poker. Once the pot is awarded, the dealer button moves one spot left and a fresh hand begins. The blinds move with the button, and the previous small blind becomes the big blind, and the next player posts the small blind. Every new hand is a fresh opportunity, regardless of what happened before.

New Hand Setup:

• The dealer button moves clockwise
• New blinds are posted
• Cards are shuffled
• Everyone gets new positions
• Previous hand doesn’t matter now

Between Hands Strategy:
Stay focused during the brief pause between hands. Take note of your new position and what that means for your strategy. Keep track of your chip stack and think about if you need to make adjustments based on the last hand’s results.

Get Free Poker Practice in Real Money Games

Ready to test your skills? CoinPoker offers free tournament games called “freerolls” where you can practice without risking money. Our daily freerolls, with prize pools between $50-$100, run every 90 minutes and typically last 2-3 hours, perfect for learning tournament poker. We also offer special Sunday freerolls with bigger prize pools.

Sign up today and join thousands of players already enjoying the action at CoinPoker.

FAQ