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
Everyone 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.
Ace-Two, same suit. The lesson: Passive players rarely bet without a real hand. When they suddenly do, weak pairs should usually fold.
Before the flop
Kai, a wild player, raises and Bea calls. Your hand (Ace-Two, same suit) plays well when many loose players are in a big pot, so the coach calls.
- Marguerite🪨 Very carefulposts the small blind (1)
- Otis🐢 Relaxedposts the big blind (2)
- Kai🔥 Wildraises to 8
- Bea📞 Calls a lotcalls 8
- Jun🎯 Solidfolds
- Walt🐢 Relaxedfolds
- Youcall 8
- Rosa🐢 Relaxedfolds
- Dev📞 Calls a lotcalls 8
- Marguerite🪨 Very carefulfolds
- Otis🐢 Relaxedfolds
You call 8Probably
Coach: Call 8. Ace-Two, same suit is one of the best 14% of starting hands. Kai (Wild) raised to 8 chips. About the best 18% of hands should keep going, so calling is reasonable.
The flop (3 shared cards)pot: 35 chips
You have a pair of twos, the smallest pair possible here, with an ace as your side card. Against three opponents plenty of hands already beat you, and a bet would mostly get called by better hands. Everyone checks.
What beats you?
- You have pair of twos.
- Best possible hand right now: three kings.
- 319 of the 1,081 hands another player could hold beat you: three of a kind (7 ways), two pair (21 ways), pair (291 ways).
- 5 cards would help you (your outs): a 11% chance on the next card.
- Kai🔥 Wildchecks
- Bea📞 Calls a lotchecks
- Youcheck
- Dev📞 Calls a lotchecks
You checkProbably
Coach: Check. Your chance to win is about 21% against 3 players. If you bet, mostly better hands would call (you'd win about 25% of those). Checking is free and shows you the next card.
The turn (4th card)pot: 35 chips
Everyone checks to Dev, who calls a lot, and he bets. Players like Dev call a lot but rarely bet without something good. Bea calls. Compare the price with your chances in the coach box below: calling costs more than it’s worth.
What beats you?
- You have pair of twos.
- Best possible hand right now: three kings.
- 421 of the 1,035 hands another player could hold beat you: three of a kind (10 ways), two pair (45 ways), pair (366 ways).
- 5 cards would help you (your outs): a 11% chance on the next card.
- Kai🔥 Wildchecks
- Bea📞 Calls a lotchecks
- Youcheck
- Dev📞 Calls a lotbets 20
- Kai🔥 Wildfolds
- Bea📞 Calls a lotcalls 20
- Youfold
You checkClear
Coach: Check. Your chance to win is about 18% against 3 players. If you bet, mostly better hands would call (you'd win about 20% of those). Checking is free and shows you the next card.
You foldClear
Coach: Fold. Calling 20 needs at least a 21% chance to win. Against the hands they probably have, yours is about 13%, even counting the 5 cards that help you.
The river (5th card)pot: 75 chips
You are out of the hand. Both players check.
- Bea📞 Calls a lotchecks
- Dev📞 Calls a lotchecks
Result
Dev wins 75 chips with three sixes. You finish 8 chips down.
- DevThree Sixes
- BeaKing high
Dev had 6♠ 6♦: the 6♣ on the turn gave him three sixes. When a player who usually just calls starts betting, it usually means exactly this.
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
- Two pair against a player who calls everything: bet, bet, betThe first three shared cards give you two pair, against a player who never folds. Make him pay at every step.
- 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?
- 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.