Lesson 1
Card Basics
The 52-card deck, four suits, and thirteen ranks — everything Texas Hold’em is built on.
A standard poker deck has 52 cards, split into four suits of thirteen cards each. Texas Hold’em uses this exact deck — no jokers, no extra cards.
The four suits
- ♠ Spades
- ♥ Hearts
- ♦ Diamonds
- ♣ Clubs
Note
In Texas Hold’em, no suit is ranked higher than another. Spades and clubs are equal. Suit only matters for making flushes.
The thirteen ranks
From lowest to highest: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J (Jack), Q (Queen), K (King), A (Ace). The Ace can act as either the lowest card (in an A-2-3-4-5 straight) or the highest.