Texas Hold’em Setup: Chapter 3 | PocketCherries™ Beginner Course

Before a hand of Texas Hold’em begins, several things happen in a specific order. This chapter explains the dealer button, the forced blind bets, and how each player receives two private hole cards alongside five shared community cards.

What You Will Learn

• The dealer button, a rotating disc that determines seat order and who posts the blinds.
• Small blind and big blind, mandatory forced bets that create initial action every hand.
• Hole cards, the two private cards dealt face down to each player.
• Community cards, up to five shared cards dealt face up in the center of the table.

Why the Setup Matters

The dealer button and the blinds are what force action and keep every hand moving. Because the button rotates one seat clockwise after each hand, everyone pays the blinds in turn, so no one can simply wait forever for premium cards. Understanding who posts the blinds and who acts first is the groundwork for position, one of the most powerful concepts in the game. It also explains why the player on the button acts last after the flop, a timing advantage you will use on every street once the community cards appear. Get these mechanics straight now and the flow of a hand will feel natural rather than confusing.

In the PocketCherries™ simulation you play a six-handed $1/$2 cash game, so the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. Knowing this structure helps you size your bets sensibly and read what opponents are risking. For the complete rules of play, see the game rules guide, and learn why seat order matters so much in Chapter 6: Position.

This chapter takes approximately 5 minutes. When you finish, continue to Chapter 4: The Four Streets or return to the course hub.