Betting Rounds, Blinds & Antes: How a Poker Hand Flows

The dealer button

• A small disk (“button”) moves one seat clockwise each hand.
• The player with the button is considered “last to act” on most postflop betting rounds.
• Position relative to the button is critical strategically. Learn more in the preflop strategy guide.

Blinds

• Small blind (SB): directly to the left of the button.
• Big blind (BB): to the left of the small blind, usually twice the size of the SB.
• Both blinds are posted before any cards are dealt.
• Blinds count toward a player’s first bet. For example, if the BB is $2 and the opening raise is to $6, the big blind only needs $4 more to call.

Antes

• An ante is a small forced bet posted by every player (or sometimes a single larger “big blind ante”).
• Antes add extra dead money to the pot, incentivizing more preflop action.
• Antes are especially common in tournaments and later levels of live games.

Blinds and antes set up the initial pot and help define how loose or tight players can afford to be.

1. Preflop: Everyone gets hole cards, action starts.
2. Flop: Three community cards are dealt, second betting round.
3. Turn: Fourth community card, third betting round.
4. River: Fifth community card, final betting round.
5. Showdown: Remaining players reveal hands if needed.

You don’t have to memorize every rule today. Just remember that information and pot size increase as the hand moves along, and your decisions should reflect that.

1. Before the deal

• Button is placed in front of a player. Small blind and big blind post $1 and $2.
• The pot now contains $3 before any cards are dealt.

2. Preflop

• Each player receives two private cards face down (hole cards).
• Betting starts with the player to the left of the big blind (“under the gun” in Hold’em).
• Options: fold, call (match the big blind), or raise (increase the bet).
• Action continues clockwise until all players have acted. If someone raises, others must at least match that amount to continue.
• When the betting is complete (everyone has folded or matched the highest bet), preflop ends.

3. Flop

• The dealer burns one card (deals it face down to the muck) and then deals three community cards face up.
• These three cards are shared by all remaining players.
• Betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button (not the blinds by default anymore).
• Options: check (if no bet has been made), bet, call, raise or fold.

4. Turn

• The dealer burns a card and deals one additional community card face up (the turn).
• Another betting round starts, again with the first active player to the left of the button.
• Betting sizes usually increase in fixed-limit games at this stage; in no-limit games bet sizes are flexible within table rules.

5. River

• The dealer burns a card and deals the final community card face up (the river).
• Last betting round, same order as flop and turn.
• Any final bluffs, value bets and calls happen here.

6. Showdown

• If at least two players remain after the final betting round, they reveal their hands.
• Typically, the last aggressor shows first; otherwise, the first player to the left of the button shows first.
• The player with the best 5-card hand (using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards) wins the pot.
• If hands are exactly tied, the pot is split.

If all but one player fold at any point in the hand, there is no showdown—the last remaining player wins and doesn’t have to show cards.

Preflop

• Action starts with the first player to the left of the big blind (under the gun).
• The blinds act last preflop.

Flop, turn & river

• Action usually starts with the first active player to the left of the button.
• The player on the button is typically last to act in these rounds.

Why position is an edge

• Acting later gives you more information before you decide.
• Many solid strategies involve playing more hands in position and fewer out of position.

For a deeper dive into how position shapes your strategy, see the preflop strategy guide and the Texas Hold’em hub.

• Pot odds: Compare the size of the pot to the cost of calling. See Pot Odds & Outs.
• SPR (stack-to-pot ratio): Plan how committed you should be by the flop. See SPR Decision Making.
• ICM: In tournaments, payouts change how much risk is acceptable. See ICM in Practice and the tournaments hub.

All of these concepts sit on top of the simple structure you just learned. Don’t rush—get comfortable with the flow first.

What are the betting rounds in Texas Hold’em?

Preflop, flop, turn and river. If more than one player remains after the river betting, there is a showdown.

What are blinds?

Blinds are forced bets posted before the cards are dealt by the two players to the left of the button. They create initial money in the pot and help keep action going.

What is an ante?

An ante is a small forced bet posted by every player (or sometimes just the button) before the deal. Antes are common in tournaments and some later-stage cash games to boost pot sizes.

Who acts first?

Preflop, the first player to the left of the big blind acts first. On the flop, turn and river, the first active player to the left of the button acts first.

Where can I see a full set of rules?

Check the Texas Hold’em rules page for a complete walkthrough in the most popular game format.