Joe has been writing full-time about online poker and other forms of gambling since 2016. He has written hundreds of reviews, How-To guides, strategy tips and more, about sports betting, casino gaming, and poker. In his own time Joe is a keen sports bettor, with a particular focus on football, the NBA, and the NFL. He also enjoys playing poker, with Texas Hold'em being his variant of choice.
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Vlad is a gambling expert with more than a decade of experience in the industry. He specializes in iGaming and online poker, having played his fair share of cash games and tournaments over the years, while also reviewing countless events in the pro poker circuit. Vlad has provided expert guides for known publications, such as Casino.org and Covers, and can be found grinding at the best poker sites every now and then.
All posts by Vlad GrinduTexas Hold’em is a widely loved poker game that combines luck, strategy, and exhilarating gameplay.
In this comprehensive guide, we will provide you with detailed instructions on how to play Texas Hold’em poker online. Additionally, we will direct you to the top-rated online poker sites where you can play for real money. Discover everything you need to know about this game that can be learned in minutes but takes a lifetime to master. Keep reading to become a Texas Hold’em pro.
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100% Free / No LimitsThe Best Texas Hold’em Poker Sites to Play for Real Money
When it comes to playing Texas Hold’em poker for real money, there are numerous websites to choose from. These sites offer both paid and free versions of the popular card game, making the decision of where to play quite challenging. To assist you, we have created a compilation of the best Texas Hold’em sites, as well as other platforms that provide similar poker variations.
- Bovada – The best place to play Texas Hold’em in the US
- BetOnline – Constant stream of new poker tournaments
- Ignition – Fantastic for crypto Texas Hold ’em poker games
- Sportsbetting.ag – Fantastic place to play live Texas Hold’em and live casino games
- Everygame– Several great casino poker variations available
Please note that only the top three names on the list offer Texas Hold’em online real money games – other sites are included to show you the other real money and free poker games available.
Top 5 Texas Hold’em Sites Reviewed
You’ve already seen our recommendations for the top Texas Hold’em sites. Now, find out why these select few brands made the list and, if you fancy yourself as the next Daniel Negreanu, you can decide where to spend your dollars.
1. Bovada – The Best Texas Hold’em Site Around
Despite facing some seriously stiff competition, we were still confident in making Bovada our number one pick for Texas Hold’em right now. This poker site not only ticks every box you could realistically ask for, but does it in impressive style.
Poker gets its very own section here, with Texas Hold’em prominently involved, as you’d expect. There’s a nice range of rooms to play in, and plenty of other players to compete against. Bovada also typically has well over 100 events ongoing at a time, including plenty of tournaments you can enter for up to $200k in prizes. In fact, literally the only reservation that we have here is that the welcome offer is hardly the most exciting you’ll find. Aside from that, Bovada is a perfect Texas Hold’em platform.
What we like:
- Lots of tournaments to join
- Good volume of other players to play against
- Good ongoing promotions
- User-friendly platform
What we don’t:
- Underwhelming welcome offer
2. BetOnline – Constant Stream of Poker Tournaments
We were confident in making Bovada our number one choice. If there was one brand which truly pushed it all the way though, it’s BetOnline. BetOnline has a fantastic track record, having operated for over 25 years now. That not only gives you plenty of peace of mind regarding player safety and professionalism, but also makes itself clear in the overall quality of the platform. The UI is faultless here, both looking and handling brilliantly regardless of your prior experience level.
BetOnline naturally provides plenty of Texas Holdem poker online game rooms, and does so for a full range of budgets. It has a competitive welcome bonus for poker players, plus a handy Bad Beat Jackpot. Its true calling card, however, is its poker tournaments. These are available every single day of the week, are extremely easy to join, and can deliver some seriously big rewards.
What we like:
- Great destination for Texas Hold’em tournaments
- Outstanding track record
- Useful Bad Beat Jackpot
- Exceptionally user friendly site
What we don’t:
- Lack of eWallet payment options
3. Ignition – Fantastic Choice for Crypto Texas Hold’em Players
Ignition launched in 2016, although the brand had been operating in other areas since 2000. Either way, this site has a solid track record behind it, and fully deserves its status as a top five destination for Texas Hold’em gaming in our rankings.
Ignition doesn’t necessarily have the best-looking interface. Get beneath the surface though, and you’ll find it to be a fantastically well-rounded Texas Hold’em platform. You can join normal games with a wide range of stake sizes here, alongside regular tournaments. Ignition also provides poker-specific bonuses, not only for fiat currency users, but for crypto fans too. Last but not least, Ignition is an beginner-friendly option, offering both ‘How to Play’ guides and more detailed strategy tips.
What we like:
- Solid track record
- Regular Hold’em tournaments
- Excellent choice for crypto users
- Useful Hold’em guides and tips
What we don’t:
- UI could be sharpened up
4. Sportsbetting.ag – Great Place to Play Texas Hold’em And Other Casino Games
Obviously, in this article we’re focusing exclusively on Texas Hold’em. The simple reality is, however, that every now and again you’ll probably want a change of pace. Sportsbetting.ag will certainly provide that for you. It has an absolutely enormous range of gaming options, including other poker variants, classic casino table games, and – as the name suggests – sports betting markets too.
On the strength of its Hold’em offering alone, however, Sportsbetting.ag belongs on this list. You can play here using either a downloadable client, or directly through the website. Either way, you’ll find a Hold’em platform with plenty of jackpots, variety in stake sizes, and other players to compete against. Thre’s also a Bad Beat Jackpot, plus the usual regular tournaments you can join.
What we like:
- Plenty of Hold’em alternatives
- Play Texas Hold’em using your browser or dedicated software
- Excellent Bad Beat Jackpot
- Higher roller and more casual tables
What we don’t:
- Dull user interface
5. Everygame – Several Great Poker Variants Available
Like Sportsbetting.ag, Everygame gives you two main ways to play Texas Hold’em. You can either do so directly through your browser, or by downloading a dedicated client onto your computer. Either way, you’ll gain access to one of the most user-friendly poker platforms on the internet, which is a cinch to start playing on regardless of your prior experience levels.
Things get off to a strong start here, with a highly competitive welcome bonus. You can subsequently grab a reload bonus as you continue to play, and join regular Hold’em tournaments, including the lucrative Gold Chip contests. It’s also worth noting, however, that this is far from a Hold-em-only platform. If you’d like to experiment with other variants, you can do so here via the same platform, and while benefiting from the same promos.
What we like:
- Downloadable Hold’em software available
- Reload bonus is extremely helpful
- Other poker variants are easy to try out
- Potentially lucrative tournaments to join
What we don’t:
- Limited selection of payment options
Comparison of the Best Texas Hold’em Sites
Going into a new poker room, it might take a long time to get all the facts down. For this reason, we have established this convenient chart provided underneath. It will enable you to quickly grasp the situation without any delay.
Texas Hold’em
Free Texas Hold’em
Omaha Omaha Hi/Lo Min/Max Stakes Poker Welcome Bonus Bovada ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ $0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 $500 BetOnline ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ $0.05-$0.10 – $15/$30 $1,000 Ignition ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ $0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 $1,500 Sportsbetting.ag ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ $0.05-$0.10 – $15/$30 $1,000 Everygame ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ $0.02/$0.05 – $10/$20 $1,000 How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker Online
Wondering how to play Texas hold’em for real money? If so, you’ll be glad to find that the rules of the game are pretty simple.
Take a look below to see our handy step-by-step guide to playing Texas hold’em online real money games.
1. Place the Blinds
Before a hand starts, the player to the left of the button places the small blind, while the player to the left places the big blind. Other players aren’t usually required to pay anything (we are disregarding the ante at this point). A blind is a mandatory bet.
The big blind is double the small blind – for example, $5/$10. The blinds are placed to encourage betting, and the blinds move one place to the left after every hand.
2. Cards are Dealt
Each player then receives two cards, which are placed face down in front of the player and are private to them. You need to create the best five-card hand possible, using these cards, along with the community cards.
3. First Round of Betting
The player to the left of the big blind then starts the betting action. They can match the big blind (call), raise the big blind (raise), or fold their cards (fold). The Texas hold’em betting order means that the action then moves clockwise around the table.
4. Three Community Cards Dealt (Flop)
Once all players have placed the same value bet, gone all in or folded, three cards will be dealt face-up into the middle of the table. These community cards are called the flop and can be used by all players to make the best hand.
5. Second Round of Betting
Another round of betting then ensues, starting with the player to the left of the button. If no bet has been made, players can check, meaning they bet nothing but remain in the hand. Players can also call, raise, and fold.
6. Fourth Community Card Dealt (Turn)
When all players have risked the same sum or folded, another card is dealt into the middle of the table, called the turn. This means there are now four community cards available to use.
7. Third Round of Betting
There’s then another round of betting, which works in the same way as the betting after the flop.
8. Fifth and Final Community Card Dealt (River)
Once all players have placed bets of the same value or folded, a final community card is dealt into the middle of the table, called the river. There are now five community cards for all remaining players to use.
9. Final Round of Betting
There’s then a final round of betting, which works in the same way as the second and third betting rounds.
10. Showdown
Once the final betting round is concluded, the player who decided on the last bet starts showing their cards. Then anyone who can beat them shows their cards – if they cannot beat the initial player, they receive an option to muck (throw away their hand unshown).
The button then moves one place to the left and a new hand begins.
Texas Hold’em Poker Hand Rankings
In Texas hold ’em poker, what brings you the money might be your awesome bluffing or reading your opponent’s moves. Or maybe just holding the nuts. But what you need before starting to read up on psychology or game theory is the vocab – so we made a neat little starter list for you:
Note that a lot of the terms and definitions carry over from this skill game to pure casino games like Caribbean Stud Poker.
- Royal flush – A hand containing 10-J-Q-K-A, all the same suit. This is the best possible hand, but the odds of a royal flush in Texas Hold’em are very slim.
- Straight flush – Any other suited straight than the above-mentioned. Another rare hand, that almost always wins. For example, 8-9-10-J-Q, all of diamonds.
- Four of a kind – A hand containing four cards of the same value, along with an unused card, called the kicker. For example, 10-10-10-10-7.
- Full house – A hand containing three cards of one value, alongside two cards of another value. For example, A-A-A-K-K.
- Flush – A hand containing five cards of the same suit. The cards can’t be consecutive ones – if they are, you’ve got a straight flush or royal flush instead, both of which are stronger. For example, 3-8-10-K-A, all of spades.
- Straight – A hand containing five consecutive cards, not all the same suit – if they’re the same suit, you’ve got a straight flush or royal flush, both of which are better hands. For example, 2-3-4-5-6, with at least one card having a different suit from the others.
- Three of a kind – A hand containing three cards of identical value, along with two unused cards, called the kickers. For example, J-J-J-4-5. If you use both cards from your hand and one from the community cards, the term is “a set”.
- Two pair – A hand containing two pairs of cards of identical value, along with an unused card, called the kicker. For example, 10-10-J-J-A.
- Pair – A hand containing a single pair of cards of identical value, along with three unused cards. For example, 5-5-7-9-Q.
- High card – A hand that doesn’t conform to any of the above definitions is simply valued by its highest card. Regardless of how high the card is, this hand loses to all the above hands. Unless you play lowball. For example, 2-6-8-9-K, with at least one card having a different suit from the others.
But what happens if two hands have the same rank? In this case, the higher hand will win. For example, in 10-10-10-K-K vs. A-A-A-5-5, the latter would be the winner, as A is a higher value than 10.
If both players use the community cards AAA and – by luck and chance – both have pocket 55, the pot is split between the two players.
It’s also possible for two people to have the same hand with different kickers, such as both having three of a kind with 10s. In this case, the player with the highest kicker will win. So, in 10-10-10-K-A vs. 10-10-10-7-8, the former would win, as A is the highest kicker.
What are the Texas Hold’em Odds?
When people discuss the odds of Texas Hold’em it is often the pre-flop odds of receiving their hole cards. This game does not have any set odds of winning (except for the royal flush). This is due to the skill game aspect, and it is a zero-sum game where you do not play against the house but other players’ wallets.
That does not mean that odds are never considered, on the contrary – poker players enjoy the mathematical aspects of every part of the game. All from quickly adjusting their online Texas Holdem strategy for pocket aces when the board comes up suited, to calculating the expected value of making a strong pre-flop bet to intimidate lesser hands.
Figuring out the odds of winning a pot is an essential part of the tools a poker player has, again, this is a skill game where knowledge is power. This is a complex subject, so we’ll ignore it in this guide, which is intended for beginners. So we will not get into how to calculate pot odds but keep it brief.
The Best Texas Hold’em Poker Online Strategy
As you start to play Texas Hold’em poker online, you’ll realize that there’s a huge amount of strategy to the game – far more than you’ll find in casino games. This is why the best players consistently win, and the worst consistently lose.
For anyone just starting to play, the most sane advice is to avoid the flashy moves and bluffing. It takes time to get used to what is happening, and sticking to playing premium hands and tossing the crap hands will serve you well until you get the hang of it. And remember that there is no shame in folding, just because you believed in the hand pre-flop does not mean it is worth you going all in on the river.
Micro limit is your friend. Remember, this game is often played in no-limit form – so $1-2 is considered fairly high stakes. Look for the micro levels and stay there, learn how fast things escalate before going up in levels.
Also, be aware that tournament strategy and cash game strategy are two different animals. It is roughly explained that you have to play the game until the (bitter) end when it comes to a tournament, whilst in a cash game you can leave at any moment.
Top 5 Tips on How to Win at Texas Hold’em Poker Online
As soon as you’ve started playing Texas Holdem poker online real money games, you’ll realize that there’s a certain amount of skill involved. Therefore, unlike other games, there are tips and tricks to give you an edge.
Below, we’ve listed tips to help you increase your chances to win when you play real Texas Hold’em online, for real money.
1. Start Out Playing for Free
Before jumping into the action and playing online Texas Hold’em games for real money, you should play for free. Just sit down at a free-play money table and learn the ropes of the game, such as the hand rankings and betting order.
By playing for free, you won’t have to go through the expensive process of losing money while learning to play. What’s more, free play will allow you to begin to assemble the core of a Texas Hold’em cash game strategy, not an advanced one – but the start of one.
2. Exercise Bankroll Management
Regardless of whether you’re playing your first-ever game of Texas Hold ’em poker for real money or you’re a famous name like Daniel Negreanu, you must manage your bankroll. Quite simply, it’s to manage your finances.
Bankroll management means only committing a small percentage of your funds in a session. If you lose, walk away. You’ll then still have money to use tomorrow, meaning you won’t have to deposit funds as often.
3. Understand Positional Play
Position plays a huge role in poker. Quite simply, the closer you are to being last to act, the bigger advantage you have. It allows you to see what other players do, evaluate their moves, and then act accordingly.
So, if you’re one of the first to act (fittingly called “under the gun”), be incredibly careful about betting, as you’ve got no way of knowing what other players acting later will do. Conversely, use the late position to your advantage, capitalizing on any perceived weakness.
4. Concentrate on Texas Hold’em Only
There are many variations of poker online, including Omaha – a poker game like Texas Hold’em – and Razz. However, you are advised to concentrate on just one variation initially.
But why shouldn’t you play more than one game? Well, we think it’s better to master one version than to play several in an average way. Become great at real money Texas Hold’em first, and master the other variants later on.
5. Use Bonuses Wisely
The bonus Texas Hold’em strategy is a simple one: claim as many bonuses as you possibly can when you are trying to learn poker. Individual poker bonuses can be huge and nothing is stopping you from claiming them from several sites.
This will increase your bankroll, and if you are just starting out learning about poker you will probably be a losing player at the initial stages. So a bonus, regardless of its terms is a welcome addition to your bankroll.
You’ll be able to find several bonuses to use at Texas Hold’em online real money games further up this page, with the biggest coming from Ignition. So, why not claim each Texas Hold’em bonus today and give your bankroll a huge boost?
Playing Texas Hold’em on Mobile
Nowadays, more and more people are playing Texas hold’em using a mobile device, and all poker sites we’ve recommended further up this page can be accessed using both iOS and Android devices.
Most play mobile poker via their browser, as no Texas hold’em download is required. However, some use apps to play instead. Please note that none of the Texas hold’em sites we recommend currently offer apps.
When you play using a mobile, you’ll be playing against everyone else on the site, including those using desktop devices. The players are the same as they are on the desktop, with the same game offerings, prizes, and structure.
More on Poker…
Looking to find out more about the various types of online poker available to US players? If so, check out the three pages listed below, each of which provides insight into a certain aspect of the poker world.
- Best poker sites – Find the best poker sites for players from the US
- Video poker casinos – Discover which casinos offer the best video poker games
- Deuces Wild video poker – See how to play Deuces Wild at online casinos
Best Texas Hold’em Poker Site in the US
If you are thinking of playing Texas Hold’em online we recommend Bovada. For one – their setup is good regardless if you are a beginner or intermediate. Secondly, the network supplies enough players for you to be entertained regardless of your time zone, and their poker bonus is not bad if you turn out to be a natural at Texas Hold’em!
Bovada offers everything a poker player could want, from busy tables to big bonuses. Why not head over there today using the link below and check the platform out for yourself?
FAQs
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