Texas Hold’em poker. Bet smart, bluff boldly, and win the pot with the best five-card hand.
Play Poker online with friends for free
About the Game
Poker is a card game in which players place bets on the strength of their hand. A standard 52-card deck is used. Players start with a certain amount of chips and try to win chips from their opponents by creating the best five card hand or forcing them to concede. The game can be played with two or more players.
Object of the Game
Use strategy and skill to win chips by creating the best 5-card poker hand or forcing all your opponents to fold.
Starting the Game
2 “hole” cards are dealt to each player followed by 5 “community” cards placed face down.
The two players to the left of the dealer are designated as the small blind (SB) and big blind (BB). The blinds post forced bets and act second to last and last during the first round of betting (pre-flop).
The BB is equal to the minimum bet for the round. SB is half of the big blind. A dealer button marks who acts last post-flop.
4 Stages of Betting
Preflop: 1st bet once all players receive 2 “hole” cards.This round is started by the
Flop: 3 community cards are revealed; another round of bets takes place.
Turn: 4th community card is revealed; another round of bets takes place.
River: 5th and last card is revealed; a final round of bets takes place before the showdown where all cards are revealed
Your actions
For each round, players must decide whether to check, bet, raise, call, or fold based on their hand.
Check: bet nothing
Bet: place a wager on your hand
Raise: to increase an existing bet in the same betting round
Call: to match a bet or raise
Fold: discard one’s hand and forfeit the whole round
Core concepts
Knowing when to check, bet, raise, call, and fold are critical when playing. It is also important to analyze your opponent’s strategy in order to make better decisions.
Position
The order in which players are seated around the table. Where you are at the table can be an advantage or disadvantage to your decision making for the round.
Position bet: A bet that takes advantage of a player position. Acting later may be advantageous as you gather more information about your opponent’s actions.
Pot Odds
The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of your call. Used to determine if making a call during this hand is profitable.
Call when price ≤ your chance to improve/win
The two purposes of betting:
Value: a bet made to increase the current pot and encourage opponents with worse hands to call
Bluff: Betting or raising with a weak hand to force opponents with better hands to fold
The strength of a player’s hand is determined by the combination of cards they hold. Combinations are formed by the player’s 2 “hole” cards and the “community” cards. The hand rankings are listed below from lowest to highest:
High Card < Pair < Two Pair < Three of a Kind < Straight < Flush < Full House < Four of a Kind < Straight Flush (Royal is the top straight flush).
(provided photo examples if possible)***
High Card: When more than one player doesn;t have a pair, hands are rated based on the highest card in the hand
A>K>Q>J…
Pair: Two cards of the same rank
Two Pair: Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank
Straight: Five cards in numerical sequence
Flush: Five cards of the same suit
Full House: Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank
Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in numerical sequence
Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit
Hold’em
Open-ended tables with fixed blinds. Join, play a while, and leave when you like; your chip balance carries over between sessions. Players can top off and/or rebuy as many times during the game, if bankroll allows. Up to five players.
Out of chips? Grab Free Chips or top up in the Shop to keep playing.
Sit & Go
A short match that starts when the seats fill. Fixed buy-in, rising blinds, and chip prizes to the top finishers. No rebuys: once you bust, you’re out. Up to three players.
Standard Hold’em Tables
Standard Hold'em Tables let you join and leave at any time and take your remaining stack with you.
Blinds
Each table has fixed blinds (e.g., 1/2, 2/4). These don’t change during the game.
Buy-In
Every table has a minimum and maximum buy-in. You can:
Buy in when you join.
Top off to the maximum at any time.
Rebuy as often as your bankroll allows.
Auto Options
Auto Top-Off Auto Top-Off will automatically refill your stack back to the table maximum after each hand.
Auto Rebuy Auto Rebuy will automatically buy back in (as long as you have enough bankroll), if you bust.
Rake
Plato takes a 10% house fee from each pot, which is known as the Rake.
Table Stakes
You can only ever bet the chips you have in front of you—never more.
Running Out of Chips
If you go broke, you can:
Grab Free Chips to keep playing.
Or visit the Shop to top up instantly.
Sit & Go Tournaments
Sit & Go’s are single-round, fast-paced tournaments where only 1st place wins. Play ends when one player has all the chips.
Tournament Chips
When you buy into a Sit & Go, you’re given special tournament chips (blue). These aren’t real chips—you can’t cash them out directly. At the end, the winner is paid the prize shown before the game starts.
Format
Fixed number of seats—tournament starts as soon as they’re full.
Blinds increase every 90 seconds to keep the action moving.
No rebuys: If you bust, you’re out.
Order of Play
Preflop Button acts first, Small Blind second, Big Blind last.
Postflop Button acts last.
Heads-Up Button posts the Small Blind, acts first preflop, and last postflop.
Buy-In & Fee
Each player pays a buy-in that creates the prize pool. Plato takes a small up to 10% fee, shown in the tournament lobby.
Strategy & Mindset
Second place gets nothing, so play to win!
Pro Tips: Play aggressively—take thin edges, steal blinds often, and don’t be afraid to re-raise all-in against frequent stealers. Good luck and have fun.
How Leaderboards Work
Gross Chips Won (Action Board)
What it is: Total chips you win from Cash Games and Sit & Go prizes during the period.
Why care: Poker is social—climb high and friends will notice.
Tips for Climbing: Play more hands, apply pressure in position, build big pots, and keep pushing when you’re hot.
Net Chips Won (Profit Board)
What it is: Your winnings minus losses and entry fees from Cash Games and Sit & Go prizes during the period.
Why care: This is the true test of skill—study, adapt, and prove you can stay profitable.
Tips for Climbing: Pick good tables, value-bet strong hands, bluff the right spots, and make disciplined folds.
Extra Notes
Only positive values are shown.
Each leaderboard comes in two flavors: Timed (Weekly) and All-Time.
Aim high—the best players can top both boards, showing they win the most chips and stay profitable.
Coming soon: Ranked Seasons with prizes. Stay tuned!
Quick FAQ
New here? Here are the answers to common questions about getting in, playing with friends, and how Plato stays fair and friendly.
Can I play online?
Yes. Install the Plato app on iOS, Android, or macOS to play the full catalog with friends or matchmade opponents. You can also play Ocho online in your web browser — no install needed.
Can I play with friends?
Yep. Tap Create Private Game, then share the invite link or invite from your contacts. When they tap Accept, they're seated at your table.
Is it free?
Yes — free to play and ad-free. If you buy something, it's for looks (themes, profile flair), not power.
Is it fair?
Shuffles, deals, dice, and timers run on Plato servers, not your device. Everyone plays by the same rules and no one can peek at hidden information.
Is it safe?
You can block and report from profiles or chat. Public spaces use filters and human review. Some rooms use Chat Pass to deter spam, and privacy controls let you limit who sees you online.
Live vs. turn-based: what’s the difference?
Both are turn-taking; the difference is the clock. Live uses short timers for quick back-and-forth. Turn-based gives you longer — often up to 24 hours per move in games like Chess — so you can play at your pace.
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