LivingRoom Stakes

How to play

No-limit Texas Hold'em, play money only. The same rules are in the app, under Rules on the home screen.

1. Texas Hold'em

   Everyone is dealt two cards face down — your hole cards, which nobody else sees. Five shared cards come out in the middle: three (the flop), then one (the turn), then one more (the river). Your hand is the best five cards you can make from your two and the five on the table.

2. The blinds

   The two players left of the dealer button put in the blinds before the cards come out, so there's always something to play for. The button moves one seat every hand.

3. Betting

   There's a round of betting before the flop and after each card comes out. Check costs nothing and is only offered when nobody has bet. Call matches the bet, raise puts in more, and fold gives up the hand.

4. No limit

   You can put in everything you have at any time. The smallest bet is one big blind, and a raise has to be at least as big as the last one.

5. All in for less

   If you go all in for less than someone else has bet, you can only win the part of the pot you matched. The rest becomes a side pot for the players still betting.

6. Winning a hand

   If everyone else folds, you take the pot and never have to show your cards. Otherwise the best hand at the showdown wins, and equal hands split the pot.

7. What beats what

   Best to worst. Suits never break a tie — two identical hands split the pot.

   A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠	Straight flush
   9♣ 9♦ 9♥ 9♠ 4♣	Four of a kind
   K♣ K♦ K♥ 6♠ 6♣	Full house
   A♥ J♥ 8♥ 5♥ 2♥	Flush
   9♣ 8♦ 7♥ 6♠ 5♣	Straight
   Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ 8♠ 3♣	Three of a kind
   J♣ J♦ 5♥ 5♠ 9♣	Two pair
   10♣ 10♦ 8♥ 5♠ 2♣	Pair
   A♣ J♦ 8♥ 5♠ 2♣	High card

8. Tournament or cash game

   In a tournament the blinds go up as it goes on and the last player with chips wins. In a cash game the blinds stay put and anyone who busts buys back in, so the table keeps its shape all evening.

9. Playing here

   Your choices sit along the bottom on your action: check, call, raise or fold. Drag the slider or tap a size to raise. Nothing is ever played by a double tap.