1. Texas Hold'em can be played with as few as two players, or as many as ten, at a single table.

2. The game begins with two players, left of the dealer, placing an initial bet. This is called posting the blinds. In
Texas Hold'em, there are no antes but forced bets, or blinds, are used.

3. The person to the left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind, which is usually equal to half of the
minimum bet.

4. The person to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which is equal to the full minimum bet.

5. The dealer shuffles one full deck of 52 playing cards. (In a Texas Hold'em game, a disc or other marker is used
to indicate which person is the "dealer" for the round.)