Prior to any cards being dealt, the first two players to the left of the button (marked with a D to signify the dealer) must pay the blinds. The blinds are forced bets that are rotated around the table among the players each round. The player who is directly to the left of the dealer pays the small blind and the next player to the left the big blind, which is twice the amount of the small blind.

After the blinds have been paid, the cards are dealt and the player to the left of the big blind starts the first of two betting rounds. The players have three options: fold, call (bet the same amount as the big blind) or raise (bet an amount greater than the big blind).

When all players have acted the remaining players can try to improve their hands by discarding up to five cards and receive new ones from the dealer. The players can do this two times (before each betting round) but can also decide to keep the hand they currently have. After the second betting round there is a showdown where the player with the best hand wins the pot.