Rules of play - Pre-flop

In Holdem Poker, before the cards can be dealt, all players are required to place their ante bets and blinds where necessary. The antes and blinds are predetermined, with the small blind always relative half of the big blind. In tournament play, as the game progresses, the values of the antes and blinds raises according to pre-determined increments.

The hole cards

The dealer then deals two cards face down, known as hole cards, to each player, starting with the player to the left of the dealer button. Once their cards have been dealt, betting begins from the player to the left of the big blind and follows a clockwise rotation.

The round of play

When it is their turn, players have the option to fold (discard their cards and take no further part in the hand), call (match the largest bet currently only the table) or raise (increase the size of the bet needed for players to stay in the hand). In limit holdem poker, raises are made according to specific pre-determined limits. In no limit holdem poker, you can raise up to a maximum of all your chips.

Once all the players have completed their actions and all betting is done, three cards are dealt face up in the centre of the table. These three cards are known as the "flop".  Players can then use these cards, in combination with their hole cards, to begin making a hand and determine the strength of their holding based on the current cards in play.