Texas Hold'em Poker Rules

Texas Hold'em (sometimes referred to simply as Hold'em) is one of the most popular poker games in the world. Players are dealt two cards each, face down (these are referred to as hole cards) and the first round of betting takes place. Three community cards are then dealt face up in the middle of the table (this is the "flop") and there is a second round of betting. A fourth community card is dealt (the "turn") and a fifth (the "river"), with a round of betting taking place after each.

Players use any of the five community cards and their two hole cards to form the best five card hand. There are normally two blinds - a big blind and a small blind - but an ante may be used instead in some games. A dealer button is used in all games.

The rules in this section pertain to discrepancies, errors and irregularities in the game of Texas Hold'em, and how those situations will be resolved.

13.1 Should the first or second hole cards that are dealt be exposed, or more than one hole card exposed in any given hand, a misdeal will be declared. The dealt cards will be reclaimed and the deck reshuffled and re-cut for a new deal.

13.2 Should any other single hole card be exposed (that is, not the first or second dealt) then at the end of dealing the hole cards the dealer will use that exposed hole card as the burn card and deal a replacement from the top of the deck.

13.3 If, after dealing the hole cards, the dealer accidentally deals an extra card to the first player, that card will be used as the burn card.

13.4 If the dealer accidentally deals two or more extra cards then a misdeal will be declared. The dealt cards will be reclaimed and the deck reshuffled and re-cut for a new deal.

13.5 If an extra card is dealt for the flop, the flop will be dealt again, even if the extra card can be readily identified.

13.6 If the dealer dealt the flop without burning a card, or they burned more than one card, and no cards were exposed, the error will be rectified. If cards were exposed then the deck will be reshuffled before the game can resume.

13.7 Further to Rule 13.6, where the flop is dealt after a burn card error, if action has already been taken on a community card then that card must stand and later cards dealt in such a manner that the cards dealt are those which would have been dealt had no burn error occurred.

13.8 In the event that the flop needs to be dealt again, all board cards except the burn card are returned to the deck, which is then reshuffled. The new flops is then to be dealt without burning a card.

13.9 If an error is made when dealing the turn card, the dealer will rectify the error by burning and dealing the card that would otherwise have been the river card. The dealer will do this without bringing any attention to the card which would have been dealt had the error not occurred. Following implementation of this rule, the dealer will take the card that was removed from play and merge with the remainder of the deck (leaving the burn card on the table) before reshuffling. The deck will then by cut and the river card dealt without burning a card.

13.10 Should a player choose to play the board cards only, they must make this known verbally to the dealer and not simply discard their hole cards. If they do not do this, they will not be entitled to any share of the pot.