Texas Hold’em · example hand · 9 players · BlindsTwo small bets that two players must put in before the cards are dealt, so there is always something to win. The small blind is 1 chip and the big blind is 2 chips. of 1 and 2 chips · everyone starts with 200 chips
The first three shared cards give you two pair, against a player who never folds. Make him pay at every step.
Ace-King, different suits. The lesson: Against players who call too much, bet your strong hands every time and don’t BluffBetting with a weak hand to make better hands fold..
Before the flop
You have Ace-King, different suits, one of the best starting hands. Nobody has raised in front of you, so raise rather than just calling: it builds a pot while you are likely ahead.
- Kai🔥 Wildposts the small blind (1)
- Bea📞 Calls a lotposts the big blind (2)
- Jun🎯 Solidfolds
- Walt🐢 Relaxedfolds
- Youraise to 6
- Rosa🐢 Relaxedcalls 6
- Dev📞 Calls a lotcalls 6
- Marguerite🪨 Very carefulfolds
- Otis🐢 Relaxedfolds
- Kai🔥 Wildfolds
- Bea📞 Calls a lotfolds
You raise to 6Clear
Coach: Raise to 6. Ace-King, different suits is one of the best 4% of starting hands. In a middle seat, good players raise with about the best 15% of hands.
The flop (3 shared cards)pot: 21 chips
You have two pair, aces and kings, using both of your cards. Tap “What beats me?” and you’ll see only a handful of hands beat you right now. Dev calls a lot: he calls with any ace, king, pair or half-made hand, so bet big.
What beats you?
- You have two pair, aces and kings.
- Best possible hand right now: three aces.
- 5 of the 1,081 hands another player could hold beat you: three of a kind (5 ways).
- 4 cards would help you (your outs): a 9% chance on the next card.
- Youbet 21
- Rosa🐢 Relaxedfolds
- Dev📞 Calls a lotcalls 21
You bet 21Clear
Coach: Bet 21 (whole pot). You're probably ahead (about 84% to win), and worse hands will call. Bet to get paid.
The turn (4th card)pot: 63 chips
The 3♦ puts two diamonds on the board, but you are still far ahead of the hands Dev calls with. Keep betting.
What beats you?
- You have two pair, aces and kings.
- Best possible hand right now: five-high straight (ace to five).
- 24 of the 1,035 hands another player could hold beat you: straight (16 ways), three of a kind (8 ways).
- 4 cards would help you (your outs): a 9% chance on the next card.
- Youbet 63
- Dev📞 Calls a lotcalls 63
You bet 63Clear
Coach: Bet 63 (whole pot). You're probably ahead (about 92% to win), and worse hands will call. Bet to get paid.
The river (5th card)pot: 189 chips
The 9♦ makes a diamond flush possible, so some hands now beat you. But a player who calls everything also calls with plenty of worse hands, like any ace. Against him, betting is still worth it. Against a careful player you would slow down.
What beats you?
- You have two pair, aces and kings.
- Best possible hand right now: ace-high flush.
- 62 of the 990 hands another player could hold beat you: flush (36 ways), straight (15 ways), three of a kind (11 ways).
- Youbet 110 (all-in)
- Dev📞 Calls a lotcalls 110 (all-in)
You bet 110 (all-in)Clear
Coach: Bet 110 (all in). You're probably ahead (about 85% to win), and worse hands will call. Bet to get paid.
Result
You win 409 chips with two pair, aces and kings. You finish 209 chips up.
- YouTwo pair, Aces and Kings
- DevPair of Aces
Dev called all the way with a pair of aces. Against players who call a lot, you win by betting your good hands, not by bluffing.
The coach’s numbers are estimates against these computer players, worked out by dealing the rest of the hand thousands of times. The “what beats you” counts are exact.
More example hands
- Trips on a paired board: bet, then call the river raiseYou get a free look at the first three cards and make three of a kind. On the last card, a player who calls a lot suddenly raises. Call or fold?
- Chasing the nut flush draw: when the price is rightYou raise with Ace-King of the same suit and miss the first three cards. Then the fourth card gives you four spades, one away from the best possible flush. Is it worth calling?
- A small pair when a player who never bets suddenly bets: believe itEveryone checks after the first three cards. Then a player who almost never bets suddenly bets on the fourth card (the turn). You have the smallest possible pair.
- Omaha: the right two cards make a straightPot-Limit Omaha. You start with a high pair plus an ace and a three. The pair looks best, but on the fourth card a different two of your cards make a straight.
- Omaha Hi-Lo: win both halves of the potOmaha Hi-Lo splits the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand. You start with an ace and a two. By the fourth card you have the best low and a straight too.
- Limit: call when the pot paysLimit Hold’em. You have four hearts after the flop and nothing else. Two players keep betting and calling. With every bet a set size, the pot pays you to chase your flush until the last card.