KarHow to play Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold’em is a virtual-chip tournament with two private cards per player and five shared community cards. Make the strongest five-card hand, win uncontested pots when everyone folds, and survive rising blinds to become the last player with chips.
Start a game
- Begin with 1,000 virtual chips and two private cards.
- Follow betting before the flop, after the three-card flop, after the turn and after the river.
- Fold, check, call, raise or move all-in when available.
- At showdown, the best five-card hand from seven available cards wins.
- Players with no chips are eliminated; the final remaining player wins.
Betting rounds and blinds
The two players after the dealer post the small and big blinds, initially 10 and 20. The dealer position moves around the table. Community cards arrive as the flop of three, one turn card and one river card.
Check when no bet needs matching, call the amount required to continue, raise or fold. The minimum raise follows the previous full raise; at the start of a betting round it is the big blind. The interface shows which actions and amounts are legal.
Hand order
- High card: no stronger combination.
- One pair.
- Two pair.
- Three of a kind.
- Straight: five consecutive ranks; an Ace can be low in A–2–3–4–5.
- Flush: five cards in the same suit.
- Full house: three of a kind and a pair.
- Four of a kind.
- Straight flush: a straight in one suit. Ten through Ace is the highest straight flush.
Showdown and side pots
Use the best five cards from your two private cards and the five community cards. You do not have to use both private cards. If every other player folds, the remaining player wins the pot without a showdown.
A short all-in cannot win an opponent’s unmatched extra contribution. The game creates side pots contested only by eligible players. Identical winning hands split the relevant pot.
The tournament format
Every player starts with 1,000 chips. Blinds double every six hands: 10/20, then 20/40, then 40/80 and onward. Losing all chips eliminates a player; the tournament continues until one player remains.
These chips are only for the game. They are not real-money wagers and cannot be withdrawn. A new tournament begins with fresh starting stacks.
Example: a short all-in
One player can contribute only 100 while two others each contribute 300. The short stack can contest the portion matched at 100 per player. The extra contributions form a separate side pot between the two deeper stacks.
A strong hand in the main pot does not make the short stack eligible to win that side pot. Follow the pot results rather than comparing only one combined number.
Strategy and useful habits
- Choose starting hands more carefully when several opponents can continue.
- Consider position and the community cards, not just your original pair.
- Keep track of the next blind increase.
- Distinguish a possible draw from a completed strong hand.
Common mistakes
- Assuming both private cards must be used.
- Treating every all-in as eligible for the entire pot.
- Ignoring the cost of rising blinds.
- Confusing a flush with a straight or overlooking a shared-board tie.
Questions and answers
Can an Ace be low in a straight?
Yes. A–2–3–4–5 is the lowest straight; Ten–Jack–Queen–King–Ace is the highest.
What happens if I lose every chip?
You are eliminated; the remaining players continue.
Is there real-money betting?
No. This tournament uses virtual chips only.