Official poker is a game of skill, where players use their pocket cards to make the best hand possible. In Texas Hold ‘Em, players have two hole cards and five community cards to work with.

Players bet into the pot right after they are dealt their pocket cards, and then again at different intervals during the play of the hand as new community cards are revealed. In no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em, the minimum opening bet is exactly twice the big blind, but in fixed-limit and pot-limit games, raises can be made to any amount up to all the chips in the player’s stack.

Bets may be made by verbal declaration or by pushing out a chip. If a player makes both, the verbal statement takes precedence unless it is clear that a chip must be pushed out first.

A player who acts out of turn (OOT) is required to defend his or her right to act. If the skipped player has not spoken up by the time substantial action occurs to his left, the OOT is binding and will be treated as a missed hand.

Rules for official poker are designed to promote fair and honest play. These include rules against soft play, abusive conduct, and other etiquette violations.

Rule 71 – Etiquette:

Players are expected to maintain good card and chip visibility and countability. Failure to do so is an etiquette violation and will result in enforcement actions under Rule 71. Examples of etiquette violations include persistent delay of the game, unnecessarily touching another player’s person, cards or chips, acting out of turn repeatedly, maintaining poor card or chip visibility and countability, betting out of reach of the dealer, and abusive behavior.