Follow a complete hand, learn who acts when, and see why winning the pot is different from winning the same amount in profit.
For viewers of standard 52-card no-limit Texas hold'em. All hands, stacks, payouts, and graphics on this page are fictional teaching examples, not footage or results from Nolan's vlog.
Two ways to win
You can win when everyone else folds, or by showing the best five-card hand among the remaining eligible players. Each player receives two private hole cards; up to five shared community cards form the board. Your final hand may use both, one, or neither of your hole cards. Compare the hand rankings when a showdown is confusing.
The button is a position, not necessarily the person dealing
At a staffed table the dealer distributes the cards while a marker identifies the dealer-button position. Preflop, action starts with the first eligible player clockwise after the big blind. After the flop, it starts with the first remaining player clockwise after the button. Folded seats are skipped.
| Seat | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BTN | Button |
| SB | Small blind |
| BB | Big blind |
| UTG | Under the gun |
| HJ | Hijack |
| CO | Cutoff |
The names of earlier seats vary with table size. The useful question is how many players act before or after you, not how many abbreviations you can memorize. Being in position means acting after the opponent on that street, so you have seen their action first.
Heads-up exception: when only two players are seated in the game, the button posts the small blind and acts first preflop, but last after the flop. A multi-player table that happens to have two players left in one hand does not move the button or blinds mid-hand.
A complete fictional hand
Six players are seated. Blinds are 100/200, there is no ante, and no rake is removed. The button starts with 12,000 chips and the big blind with 16,000. All players except those two fold; the small blind's 100 stays in the pot.
Preflop: the first decision
The button raises to 500. The big blind has already posted 200, so calls another 300. Pot: 1,100 = 500 + 500 + 100.
Flop: three shared cards
The flop is Q♦ 7♣ 2♠. The big blind checks. The button bets 400 and the big blind calls 400. Pot: 1,900 = 1,100 + 400 + 400.
Turn: one more card
The 9♥ arrives. Both check, so the pot stays 1,900. A check keeps the hand alive without adding chips when no wager is outstanding.
River: the last shared card
The 3♦ arrives. The big blind checks, the button bets 600, and the big blind calls. Final pot: 3,100 = 1,900 + 600 + 600.
Showdown: compare five cards
Both have a pair of queens. The button's best five are Q-Q-A-9-7; the big blind's are Q-Q-J-9-7. The ace beats the jack at the first unmatched kicker, so the button wins.
The button receives 3,100 chips but contributed 1,500 during the hand. The net increase is 1,600, not 3,100. This is chip bookkeeping, not a claim about tournament cash winnings. The line of play illustrates the mechanics, not an optimal strategy.
Pause and check
What does the big blind pay after facing a raise to 500?
Another 300: 500 total minus the 200 already posted. The forced blind counts toward the preflop call, but an ante does not.
Does every hand reach the river?
No. Once all but one player fold, that player wins the uncontested pot. No additional board cards are needed to identify the winner.
Does the button always act last preflop?
No. At a table with more than two players, the small and big blinds still have their turns after the button. The button acts last postflop when still in the hand.
References and limits
PokerStars: Texas hold'em rules; Poker TDA: heads-up and player procedures.
References checked October 5, 2026. Explanations and examples are written for this site. Event structures and house rulings can differ; this is not a tournament rulebook or a guarantee of profitable play. External references may contain commercial offers; no account or purchase is needed to read this guide.
Published . Prepared with AI assistance. Use learning materials away from live play; follow the event's device and assistance rules.