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1. The Deck
2. Poker Hands
3. Texas Hold'em
4. Omaha
5. 7-stud
Betting Rules:
1. Betting Basics
2. Blinds
3. Position
Betting Structures:
1. Limit
2. No-Limit
3. Pot-Limit
FAQ:
1. Hold'em FAQ
2. Betting FAQ
In other languages:
Texas Hold'em Rules FAQ
POKER RULES
No, there is no such thing as three pairs. Only your best five-card poker hand counts in Texas Hold'em. Example:
  Your Hand |      Board |
Your final poker hand is two pairs, aces over sevens, with a king kicker, using
A
A
K 7
from the board and the 7 from your hand. How many kickers matter?
A kicker matters if it is part of a person's final five-card poker hand. Example:
 Victor |  Stephen |  Board |
In this case, Victor would win. The nine is better than the seven, so Victor wins.
Victor's final poker hand |  Stephen's final poker hand |
However, suppose the board is:
   Board |
Then the outcome would be a tie. Both would have aces over queens with a jack kicker. Victor's nine would no longer be part of his final five-card poker hand, so it would no longer matter.
Wait, I'm confused. Another example please?
In Texas Hold'em, a player makes the best five-card hand using any combination of his hole cards and the cards on the board. Only the best five-card hand is considered.
 Tom |  Jerry |  Board |
This is a tied pot. Each player's final poker hand is
A K Q J
10Can I show my hole cards to my opponents before the showdown in order to psyche-out my opponents?
This depends on the rules of the house. Sometimes, when a player must make a large call, he displays his hole cards to his opponent to see if the opponent gives some sort of reaction. Certain poker rooms and home games allow this but other places would instantly call the hand dead and would make the player fold.
Who wins if two people each have a straight?
If one person has a higher straight, then that person would win. For example, if Tom has a straight 87654 and Jerry has a straight 98765, then Jerry would win the pot.
Please note that only the final five-card poker hand matters.
 Peter |  John |  Board |
This would be a split pot. Each person's final poker hand is the board:
9 8 7 6 5. It does not matter that Peter also has a four, because it would not make him a higher straight.For more information about tie-breakers among different poker hands, check out our Poker Hands section.
Next Article: Betting Rules FAQ
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