Before the cards are dealt, the initial forced bets are placed. Two players sitting to the left of the dealer are called "Blinds." The Small Blind position is always the seat to the left of the Dealer button, and the Big Blind is the seat to the left of the Small Blind. The amounts of the blinds are predetermined, and the Small Blind (SB) is half the Big Blind (BB).

Pre-flop
Every player is dealt two cards face down (Hole cards). Then there is a round of betting. Starting with the player to the left of the big blind, each player can Call the big blind, Raise, or Fold.

Flop
The dealer lays out three cards (Community cards) in the middle of the table, followed by a second betting round. Starting with the player to the left of the Dealer button, each player can Check, Bet or Fold.

Turn
A fourth community card is dealt face up, followed by a third betting round. The sequence of betting actions is the same as on the flop.

River
A fifth community card is dealt face up, followed by a fourth and final betting round. The sequence of betting actions is the same as on the flop and turn.

Showdown
The final portion of a hand. Remaining players reveal their cards and compare who has the best cards and becomes the winner of the pot. A player may use any combination of the seven cards available (two hole cards plus five community cards) to construct the best possible five-card hand.