Types of games

How do you play Texas Hold'em?

We have extensive information about how to play Texas Hold’em on our website.

What are the blinds?

Before the game starts, the two players sitting to the left of the dealer post 'blind' bets, these are called blinds because they are made before the players have seen any cards. The blinds ensure that there is some money in the pot before the game starts. The player to the left of the dealer posts the 'small blind', and the player positioned to his left then posts the 'big blind'.

What is the pre-flop action in Texas Hold'em?

Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are called hole or pocket cards. The action begins on the player to the left of the big blind. He or she has three options: call the bet; raise the bet; or fold.

What is the showdown?

If there is more than one player left in the game, there is a showdown in which the players reveal their cards and the highest hand wins (see our rank of hands). If two players share an identical hand, the pot is split.

What is minimum and maximum buy-in?

Limit poker: In limit games, the minimum buy-in is equal to 10 times the big blind. There is no maximum buy-in. Example: In a $5/10 limit game, the big blind value is $5, so the minimum buy-in is equivalent to 10x5, or $50. Pot and no-limit poker: Pot-limit (PL) and no-limit (NL) games as played at Partypoker both have a minimum and a maximum buy-in. The maximum amount a player may bring to the table in an NL/PL game corresponds to the name of the game. For example, in a $100 NL game, the maximum buy-in would be $100.

What are table stakes?

At PartyPoker, all games and tournaments comply with the following table stakes protocols:

  • No chips may be added to a player's stack during a hand. In a real money game, players can only add to their stack between hands. While some tournaments offer rebuys and add-ons, these may only be executed after a hand is over and before the next hand starts.
  • Players may, however, add chips or rebuy and add-on during the play of a hand if they are not involved in that hand.
  • Players may not remove chips from the table. In a real money game, a player cannot remove any chips from the table during play until he or she leaves the game. This rule applies regardless of how many chips a player has brought to the table.

    • Note: The table stakes protocols are designed to protect the game. Otherwise, if a player is allowed to put a few chips into his pocket every time he or she is ahead, then the number of chips available for play will be reduced and the action at the table will suffer.

    What are Club Games?

    Club Games are privately set up clubs enabling players to host private and personalised poker games. Each club has its own lobby, allowing you to create cash games with multiple options. Here’s a quick walk through on how to get your club up and running:

  • Click on the ‘Club Games’ tab in the client
  • Select ‘Create Club’ in the top right corner
  • Fill in all necessary details
  • Start inviting your friends!

    • You can set up a max. of five clubs, however there’s no limit on to how many you can join. More info on Club Games can be found here.