Texas Hold’em is one of the Lone Star State’s most famous exports. First played in the early 1900s in Robstown, East Texas, the game has become the number one poker variant worldwide.
It’s the main game of the World Series of Poker and is enjoyed by professional and recreational gamblers at legal poker rooms, online poker sites, and online casinos from the USA to Australia.
So, given that this hugely popular poker game is a product of the state, how can you legally play Texas Hold’em in Texas?
Let’s explain the legal landscape surrounding online gambling in Texas in 2025. We then reveal how to play Texas Hold’em poker online and live.
Is Online Poker Legal in Texas?
At the time of writing, online poker is illegal in Texas, and no forms of online casino gambling are currently legal, despite various attempts to pass relevant legislation in the Senate.
However, we expect poker and other online gambling games to become legal in Texas in the coming years. So, while you can’t legally play Texas Hold’em for real money online in the state, we reveal the origins of this game and explain how to play online as soon as it becomes legal.
Texas Hold’em Poker: A True Texan Game
Texas Hold’em poker was first played in the Texan town of Robstown in the early 1900s. This was confirmed by a pronouncement in the Texas state legislature in 2007.
Blondie Forbes, one of the most famous Texan gamblers of all time, is often credited with formulating the variant’s rules in 1925, though the original Texas Hold’em hands were probably different from those we play today.
Other legendary poker players – including Doyle Brunson and Crandell Addington – recall traveling to Texas to learn and play the game. However, Brunson remembers knowing the game as “Hold Me Darling” rather than Texas Hold’em.
By 1963, Texas Hold’em had spread to different parts of the USA and was introduced to Las Vegas, Nevada. The first Texas Hold’em game recorded on the Strip occurred at the California Club, though it was soon available at the Golden Nugget and Stardust.
Brunson and Addington popularized the game in Las Vegas, even though they admitted to playing it much earlier in Texas.
Over the years, Texas Hold’em has become the most popular game format. This is primarily due to its ease of play compared to other variants.
Today, you will find Texas Hold’em at practically all online poker sites and variants of the game in different formats at online casinos.
How to Play Texas Hold’em – Basic Rules & Gameplay
Before playing Texas Hold’em online, you must know the basic rules and gameplay. The objective is to use your hole cards and the community cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand.
Each player is dealt two hole cards face down, and five community cards are dealt in the middle of the table over several betting rounds. The community cards are then dealt as follows:
- The flop: The first three cards.
- The turn: The fourth community card.
- The river: The fifth community card.
Before every game, two players at the table must post small and big blinds, which begin the betting. These are required to stimulate wagering and ensure that there’s something to win in every round.
All players must call (match the amount of the big blind), raise (increase the stakes), or fold (leave the game) at the following stages:
- Preflop: This is the first round of betting, which occurs immediately after every player receives their hole cards.
- Flop: After the first round of betting, three community cards are added to the center of the table. Another betting round commences.
- Turn: After the second round of betting, one community card is added to the center of the table. Another betting round commences.
- River: After the third round of betting, one community card is added to the center of the table. The final round of betting commences.
- Showdown: The players remaining in the game show their hole cards and the winning hand is determined. The winner takes all the chips in the pot.
The winner of the game is the player with the best five-card poker hand. Below are the details of the hand rankings in Texas Hold’em from the best to worst hand:
| Hand | Explanation | Example |
| Royal flush | Five cards of the same suit ranked from ace to ten. | A, K, Q, J, 10 of spades |
| Straight flush | Five cards of the same suit ranked consecutively. | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of hearts |
| Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank | K, K, K, K + 5 |
| Full house | Three cards of the same rank and two cards of the same rank | Q, Q, Q, 4, 4 |
| Flush | Any five cards of the same suit | A, 4, 6, 7, 9 of clubs |
| Straight | Any five cards ranked consecutively | 10 of spades, 9 of hearts, 8 of spades, 7 of hearts, 6 of clubs |
| Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank | 6, 6, 6, + 5, 9 |
| Two pair | Two cards of the same rank and two more cards of the same rank | J, J, 10, 10, + 4 |
| One pair | Two cards of the same rank | 8, 8, + A, 9, 3 |
| High card | Five different cards (ace is high) | A, 4, 8, Q, 2 |
How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker Online Today
There are a few ways to play Texas Hold’em poker online today:
Real-money Texas Hold’em at Poker Sites
Your first option is to sign up for an online poker site like PokerStars. This is the best way to play cash games and tournaments against other players. However, you must be in one of the few states that currently allow real money gambling online, like New Jersey.
PokerStars is the number one online poker site in the world. It has the best poker software and offers cash games from just $0.01/$0.02 (blinds), making it an excellent option for low-budget players and beginners to learn the ropes.
Another excellent site for online poker is 888Poker, which is part of the 888 group and operates a fantastic casino and sportsbook. 888 offers high-stakes poker games and tournaments, but there are also low-limit games and many live Texas Hold’em cash games throughout the day and night.
You can also check out PartyPoker, another real-money poker site that has been operational for over two decades. PartyPoker offers great bonuses and lots of cash games and tournaments throughout the year.
Real-money Texas Hold’em at Live Casinos
While gambling online is prohibited in Texas, you can visit real casinos, and some of these have poker rooms where you can sit down and enjoy some Texas Hold’em.
We recommend the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle casino in Eagle Pass, which offers no limit and limit Texas Hold’em games. At weekends, the tables run from 10am to 5am.
There’s a lot more choice if you cross over the borders. For example, the Winstar at Thackerville in Oklahoma boasts 55 poker tables.
Free Online Poker – Legally Available in Texas
As real-money online gambling is currently illegal in Texas, the best way to play Texas Hold’em poker online is to play for free.
Sure, you can’t play for real money at these sites, but they allow you to play an unlimited amount of Texas Hold’em as you refine your approach and work on your strategy.
As there’s no money at stake, you can play free online poker legally in Texas right now. We recommend the following sites to get started:
- Global Poker: Play Texas Hold’em and other games with gold and sweeps coins at Global Poker. You can enter tournaments and build your profile on the site.
- WSOP: The World Series of Poker website has an excellent lobby of free poker games, offering access to no-limit Hold’em titles. These games are completely free to play and invite you to compete against other players from across the US and further afield.
- Zynga Poker: One of the world’s most popular free poker sites with over 40 million players, Zynga Poker is a great place to play Texas Hold’em. There are free no-limit Hold’em games and sit & go tournaments 24/7, enabling you to mix things up as you play online.
- Replay Poker: Online since 2005, with a vibrant and helpful online community, Replay Poker is another top site for free online Texas Hold’em. You will find thousands of users on the site at any given time, ensuring that there’s always someone to join a game.
The Bottom Line: How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker Online
As of March 2025, playing real money online poker in Texas is illegal. However, we expect new legislation to change the landscape in the coming years, meaning real-money poker will likely be legalized.
In the meantime, you can play poker for free at any of the sites introduced above, or visit one of the brick-and-mortar casinos with dedicated poker rooms.
We’ll update this page as soon as new legislation is passed to permit legal real-money online poker in Texas.