Editing Texas hold 'em (section)

=== Play of the hand ===
[[File:Texas Hold 'em Hole Cards.jpg|thumb|right|Each player is dealt two private cards in hold 'em, which are dealt first.]]

[[File:Texas Hold 'em.webm|thumb|This video shows how to deal a hand for Texas hold 'em and some of the types of hands needed in order to win.]]

Following a shuffle of the cards, play begins with each player being dealt two [[Playing card|cards]] face down, with the player in the small blind receiving the first card and the player in the button seat receiving the last card dealt.  (As in most poker games, the deck is a standard 52-card deck containing no [[Joker (playing card)|jokers]].)  These cards are the players' ''hole'' or ''pocket'' cards. These are the only cards each player will receive individually, and they will (possibly) be revealed only at the [[showdown (poker)|showdown]], making Texas hold 'em a [[closed (poker)|closed]] poker game.

The hand begins with a "pre-flop" betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. A round of betting continues until every player has folded, put in all of their chips, or matched the amount put in by all other active players. See [[Betting (poker)|betting]] for a detailed account. Note that the blinds are considered "live" in the pre-flop betting round, meaning that they are counted toward the amount that the blind player must contribute. If all players call around to the player in the big blind position, that player may either check or raise.

After the pre-flop betting round, assuming there remain at least two players taking part in the hand, the dealer deals a [[flop (poker)|flop]]: three face-up [[community card]]s. The flop is followed by a second betting round. This and all subsequent betting rounds begin with the player to the dealer's left and continue clockwise.

After the flop betting round ends, a single community card (called the [[turn (poker)|turn]] or fourth street) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final single community card (called the [[river (poker)|river]] or fifth street) is then dealt, followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.

In all casinos, the dealer will [[burn card|burn]] a card before the flop, turn, and river. Because of this burn, players who are betting cannot see the back of the next community card to come. This is done for traditional reasons, to avoid any possibility of a player knowing in advance the next card to be dealt due to its being [[Card marking|marked]].<ref name="SuperSystem" />