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This guide explains how to play Texas Hold’em poker online for real money and introduces sweepstakes Texas Hold’em poker as the best alternative to the real money variant, especially if you’re in a state without legal casino gambling.
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant in the US. If you’re an aficionado, you’ll want to learn all the information I’ve provided here, from the gameplay methodology to tips for winning and the experience of playing Texas Hold’em at sweepstakes social casinos. I’ll also highlight expert tips for playing this game and leading sweepstakes poker sites to join.
The goal of Texas Hold’em is to get the best five-card hand after a series of rounds. This is typically a multiplayer game, so you’re not facing off against the dealer but fellow online players like yourself.
At the start, the player to the left of the dealer button must make a forced play known as the small blind, and the subsequent player to his left must make the big blind, which is always 2x the small blind.
Then, two hole cards are given face down to each player. The first round begins, starting from the player to the left of the big blind who may call, raise or fold, and it continues on this way for all players at the table. This is the preflop.
When the first round of bets has been placed, three community cards are revealed face up. All players can use any of these cards to form their card hand, and another round ensues, starting from the first player to the left of the dealer button (excluding those who have folded). This is the flop.
A fourth community card is revealed, and a similar round ensues (the turn). Finally, a fifth community card is shown, and a fourth and final round takes place (the river).
At this point, all remaining players who haven’t folded will have their hole cards revealed in the showdown, and whoever has the best five-card hand gets awarded the pot. In the case of a tie, the prize is split evenly among winners.
In case you didn’t understand the introduction above – which is understandable as this game does take a while to grasp – here’s a breakdown of how to play Texas Hold’em poker online:
When you understand the hand rankings, you’re halfway through becoming an expert at Texas Hold’em. It’s the hand rankings that determine whether your final five-card hand is a winner or not. Here’s all hand ranks from weakest to strongest:
| 🎉 Hand Name | 😎 Hand Description |
|---|---|
| High Card | Five unmatched cards where the highest value card plays |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank, e.g., a pair of Kings or a pair of Queens |
| Two Pair | Two separate pairs of cards of similar rank, e.g., a pair of Kings and a pair of Queens |
| Three of a Kind | Three out of your five cards have the same rank |
| Straight | Five cards in sequential order, but of different suits |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit, without sequential order |
| Full House | A combination of three of a kind and a pair |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in sequential order and of the same suit |
| Royal Flush | A straight flush consisting of the highest ranking cards, that is, A, K, Q, J, 10 |
The gameplay on Texas Hold’em poker is the same whether you’re playing at a physical table or online. However, Texas Hold’em poker at sweepstakes casinos offers a slightly different experience, primarily because you can play using virtual currencies at these sites.
Our sweepstakes poker guide will let you know more about how to play any kind of poker game at sweepstakes casinos. However, the main idea is that you can use Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins to enter a game, and both of these tokens are provided freely as a bonus at these sites. You can purchase Gold Coin packages too if you like, and you win from Sweeps Coins play is redeemable for cash and gift prizes once you meet the relevant requirements.
Only a few states in the US will allow you play Texas Hold’em poker online for real money. Thanks to that, sweepstakes are a fantastic alternative that you can access from more than 40 states. You can play and win real money prizes via redeemable Sweeps Coins, but it’s important to note that SC are redeemable for real money prizes only after you’ve played them through at least once at most sweepstakes casinos.
You can only get SC as bonuses; you can’t buy them the way GC is up for purchases. Fortunately, the best sites provide multiple ways for you to be rewarded with free SC bonuses. Some poker sites like Global Poker feature lots of tournaments with large SC prizes to be won. But even ring games can offer generous rewards, depending on the pot and table limits.
Online Texas Hold’em poker can be played as Fixed-Limit, Pot-Limit, or No-Limit. Fixed-Limit Hold’em games are those where there is a fixed amount for all bets and raises. In Pot-Limit Hold’em, players can raise only up to the current size of the pot. In Limit, which is the most common kind, there are no max play amount caps. Players can raise as high as they want or go all in at any moment.
There’s a saying that Texas Hold’em is easy to learn but impossible to master. Well, you don’t have to master it to win. You simply need to follow these tips:
Focus on learning the hand rankings. Superior Texas Hold’em players know which starting hands to play.
Vary your playing styles, especially if you play with the same poker group often. If you have a pattern, smart players can tell.
Don’t be afraid to fold. Folding early when you have a bad hand can minimize your losses.
Enjoying the game should be your priority. You can’t win every time anyway, so bask in the excitement of deciding your hand, trying to mind-read other players, or bluffing. And be a good sport when you lose.
Make an effective plan for how to spend your balance from the start. This is where many inexperienced players falter, ending up in a cycle of chasing losses and spending more than they can afford.
The best sites for this poker game are not just poker-specific sites. Many of them also cover sweepstakes casino games, ensuring you can enjoy a complete social gaming experience.
State.us, since it launched in 2022, is the best cryptocurrency sweepstakes site on the market. It’s not your average casino, as such it doesn’t have your regular Texas Hold’em.
The poker variant available here are is a Stake Originals game simply titled Stake Poker. The game uses Texas Hold’em rules, game mechanics, and hand rankings. And this is just one of the many fun games available to play here.
Bonuses and promotions are also more generous than you’d expect. Our JAXONSOCIAL bonus code unlocks 260k Gold Coins and 55 Stake Cash, along with a 5% rakeback when you sign up for a new player account.
This is another excellent casino with poker games. All the table games here are actually poker-related, and there’s a Texas Hold’em option you can try for free alongside others like Oasis Poker and Video Poker.
RealPrize is a relatively new sweepstakes casinos and deals plenty of bonuses and promos for players, including daily rewards and a solid loyalty program. You can claim up to 625K GC + 125 SC + 1,250 VIP points in combined bonuses as a new customer.
Plenty of tournaments, jackpots, and daily freerolls make this a poker sweepstakes site you don’t want to miss. Any kind of poker tournament you can think of is available here: satellites, sit&gos, progressive knockouts, rebuy tournaments, etc.
The site interface is a major draw because it feels like you’re sitting at a poker table as you play. Simply click, play, and you’re good to go with the 100% welcome bonus of 200K GC and 40 SC the site offers.
There isn’t a first GC purchase offer this time around, but you’ll find there are lots of ways to get free GC once you’re in, including a very generous referral bonus.
Owned and operated by WPT (World Poker Tour), there’s hardly a more reliable sweepstakes site online. Club WPT operates a little differently from the other sites on this list in that it is a subscription-based website.
You pay for a monthly membership, which allows you access to tournaments every day, even some of the biggest live World Poker Tour events. And lots of real money prizes are available. Whether it’s Texas Hold’em or any other poker variant, there’s a rich schedule of events to join daily.
This VGW site is recognized as one of the best places to play social casino poker. It’s got everything a real money poker site has and offers the chance to win prizes both in ring games and tournaments.
Texas Hold’em is among the top player favorites at this site, so there’s always a daily event or promotion for you to join. It helps that Global Poker are generous with bonuses. You get 100,000 Gold Coins + 5 SC as a sign up offer, and a running stream of ongoing promotions.
Responsible gaming is just as important at a sweepstakes site as it is at a real money casino. The only time you get a pass is if you’re just playing free Texas Hold’em poker, say, you download the Texas Poker Party app, where you can only play for fun with no real money rewards. Otherwise, you must try to stay mindful of responsible gaming practices.
The benefits of playing responsibly include maximizing your balance and enjoying an overall better experience. Believe it or not, you can win more when you play responsibly. You won’t randomly find yourself with an empty balance if you manage your Sweeps Coins well.
You’ll also avoid having your gameplay woes affecting your daily life if you purchase Gold Coins responsibly in the first place. We always recommend sites that have one or more RSG (responsible social gaming) tools to make it easier for you to set limits and manage your activities.
Poker is the most challenging casino game, and unlike sweepstakes slots, it requires you to acquire a bit more skill before you can join the gameplay. Nonetheless, it’s not unattainable for beginners. In fact, the best way to become a great poker player is to learn as you play. I’ve provided useful tips above that will help you increase your winning chances even before you become a master of the game.
Make sure you check out the poker sites recommended on this page, too. These are the best places to start, and you’ll get free bonuses to allow you to kickstart your Texas Hold’em poker adventure instantly. And if you’re giving Stake.us a try, remember to use our promo code JAXONSOCIAL at sign up to unlock 55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% rakeback.
The Royal Flush is the best card hand in poker. The hand comprises five cards of the same suit ranked in the sequence A through 10 (A, K, Q, J, 10).
Texas Hold’em is a variation of poker. It differs from other kinds of poker in the fact that there is a defined order of play (starting from the left of the dealer button), and it features community cards that all players can use to make better hands.
Whether you prefer a website or a Texas Hold’em poker app, the best places to play this game are the sweepstakes casinos we recommend. These allow you to enjoy Texas Hold’em for free and redeem real money prizes through Sweeps Coins. Sweepstakes casinos are also more accessible for US players than real money poker sites, which are restricted in most states.
Yes, depending on the play structure, Texas Hold’em can be No-Limit, Pot-Limit, and Fixed-Limit (aka Limit). In No-Limit, players can play with any amount. In Pot-Limit, players can only play up to the size of the pot, while Limit Texas Hold’em has fixed amounts for bets and raises.
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