If your first two cards are a pair of Aces, Kings, or Queens, or an Ace/King or Ace/Queen suited, stay in the hand. Never stay in with a pair of 6s or less. After the "flop" (the community deal of the next three cards) drop out if you don't substantially improve the hand, or bet aggressively if you do substantially improve the hand.

Hold 'em is most easily described as a variation of seven-card stud. Two cards are dealt face down to each player, and then a total of five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. Each player uses the five community cards in combination with his hole cards to form the best five-card hand. After the first two cards are dealt to each player, there is a round of betting, beginning with a forced, blind bet by one, two, and sometimes three players to the immediate left of the dealer or the button if there is a house dealer. In limit hold 'em there is usually only one forced blind.

After that first round of betting, the dealer turns over three cards, called the flop, in the center of the table. These are the first three community cards. Thus, if the flop is Ar8r5+ a player holding A45 in the hole has two pair; a player holding 7V6r in the hole has a four-flush and an open-ended straight; and a player holding 848 in the hole has three 8s.

Following the flop, there is a round of betting, followed by a fourth community card, then another round of betting, then a fifth and final community card and a final round of betting. Each round of betting begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer or button. In the showdown the best high hand wins.

In standard lowball (also called California lowball) the best low hand is A,2,3,4,5, followed by A,2,3,4,6; then A,2,3,5,6; etc. Frequently the joker is used as a wild card. In deuce-to-seven lowball the best low hand is 2,3,4,5,7.