The Table and the Button

Before you pitch a single card, you need to read the table. In Texas Hold'em the house dealer never plays a hand. Instead, a round disk called the dealer button marks which player acts as the dealer for that hand. Who posts the blinds, who gets the first card, and who acts first are all measured from the button.

The two players to the left of the button post forced bets called blinds. The small blind sits directly left of the button. The big blind sits left of the small blind. The player left of the big blind is under the gun, or UTG.

After every hand, the button moves one seat clockwise. That way every player takes a turn in every position, and nobody pays the blinds twice in a row.

• The button marks the dealer position for the hand.
• Small blind is one seat left of the button. Big blind is two seats left.
• The button moves one seat clockwise after every hand.

Pitching the Hole Cards

Each player gets two private cards called hole cards. You deal them one at a time, clockwise, starting with the small blind. Go around the table once, then go around again. The button always gets the last card.

A clean pitch keeps the card low to the felt and lands it right in front of the player. Cards that flip over or fly off the table slow the game down and can expose information. A steady grip on the deck and a smooth wrist motion are the first things Rey drills on day one.

• Two cards each, one at a time, clockwise.
• The first card goes to the small blind. The button gets the last card.
• Count check: players × 2. Six players means 12 cards out.

Burn and Turn: Dealing the Board

The board is the set of community cards everyone shares. Before each round of board cards, you burn one card face down. Burning protects the game in case the top card was flashed or marked.

The flop is three cards turned face up together. The turn is one card. The river is one card. A hand that goes all the way uses three burns and five board cards.

• Burn one card before the flop, the turn, and the river.
• Flop is 3 cards. Turn is 1. River is 1.
• Keep burn cards together, face down, near the deck.

Who Acts First

As the dealer, you run the action. You need to know whose turn it is every single time. Before the flop, action starts with the player under the gun and moves clockwise. The big blind acts last, because they already have a bet in.

On the flop, turn, and river, action starts with the first active player left of the button. The button acts last on every street after the flop, which is why players call it the best seat at the table.

• Preflop: UTG acts first, big blind acts last.
• Flop, turn, river: first active player left of the button acts first.
• The button acts last on every street after the flop.