Texas Hold'em Poker Rules and How the Game Works | What to Know Before Your First Game at a Korean Casino
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A guide to Texas Hold'em Poker at Korean casinos: how your two cards and the five community cards are used, hand rankings, the flow from blinds to showdown, and the difference between limit and no-limit, based on the game guide on the official Paradise Casino website.
Texas Hold'em Poker is a game where players compete on the strength of a five-card hand made from seven cards: two private cards of your own and five shared community cards placed face up on the table. Unlike Baccarat or Roulette, you decide again and again whether to bet or fold.
This article explains the rules and how the game works, based on the game guide on the official Paradise Casino website (checked on September 29, 2026). Table formats and betting rules may vary by casino and table, so follow the information at the table where you play. This article explains the rules. It is not a way to win.
Hand rankings
Card strength is determined by rank, not by suit. An Ace can count as either the highest or the lowest card. The official guide ranks the hands as shown below, from highest to lowest.
| Rank | Hand | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal straight flush | 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | Consecutive ranks, all of the same suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | Three cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit |
| 6 | Straight | Consecutive ranks in mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | Two sets of two cards of the same rank |
| 9 | One pair | One set of two cards of the same rank |
The official guide treats A-2-3-4-5 of the same suit separately as a "back straight flush." For straights, the guide states that 10-J-Q-K-A (the "mountain") is the highest and ranks above A-2-3-4-5 (the "back straight").
If two players have the same hand, the player whose cards forming the hand are higher wins. If those are also the same, the bets are shared (a split).
How a hand works
- Blinds: Before the hand starts, the players in set seats post forced bets (the small blind and the big blind). These roles rotate around the table in seating order
- First betting round: Everyone is dealt two cards face down. In turn, each player chooses to call (bet the same amount as the previous player), raise (bet more), or fold (give up the hand). You cannot bet or fold until it is your turn
- Flop: Three community cards are turned face up, followed by the second betting round
- Turn: The fourth community card is revealed, followed by the third betting round
- River: The fifth community card is revealed, followed by the final betting round
- Showdown: The remaining players combine their two cards with the community cards to make their strongest hand, and the winner is decided. If the community cards alone make a stronger hand, the remaining players share the bets
Limit and no-limit
| Limit | No-limit | |
|---|---|---|
| Bet amounts | Fixed in advance. The basic bet is the minimum amount for the first two rounds and the maximum amount for the last two rounds | Only the blind amounts are fixed, and there is no upper limit |
| All-in (betting everything you have) | Not available | Allowed |
| What the official guide says | Example: at a KRW 20,000/40,000 table, the game starts with a small blind of KRW 10,000 and a big blind of KRW 20,000 | Faster-paced, and mainly used in poker tournaments |
When you sit down for the first time, check which format the table uses and how much the blinds are.
Which casinos in Korea offer it
Of the 8 main casinos covered on this site, Texas Hold'em Poker has been confirmed at 6, all except Seven Luck Casino Seoul Dragon City and Seven Luck Casino Busan Lotte Hotel (the location pages for those two on the official website do not mention it; checked in October 2026). According to the FAQ on the official Paradise Casino website, Paradise runs poker rooms at Walkerhill (Seoul) and Paradise City (Incheon), and their operating hours and tournament schedules are posted on a dedicated poker website. For how the games differ by casino, see Korea casino comparison.
Note that table formats differ by casino. This article describes the format in which players compete against each other using blinds. However, the official INSPIRE Casino website lists "Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker," and the official Seven Luck Casino website lists "TEXAS HOLD’EM BONUS POKER," so the way you bet and the payouts there may differ from this article. Check the information at the table before you sit down.
Directions, entry requirements, and hotels at each casino's resort are covered on the casino pages: Paradise City (Incheon) / INSPIRE Casino (Incheon) / Paradise Casino Walkerhill (Seoul) / Seven Luck Casino Gangnam COEX (Seoul) / Paradise Casino Busan (Busan) / Dream Tower Casino (Jeju).
Things to check before you play
Texas Hold'em involves many decisions. If this is your first time playing at a casino, also see Baccarat rules and how to play. Entry requirements and passports are covered in A first-timer's guide to Korean casinos.
Poker games played against the dealer rather than other players include Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker.
Decide how much you will spend at the casino before your trip, and stay within that amount. The 8 casinos covered on this site are for foreign visitors only (Korean nationals are not admitted) and are open to visitors aged 19 and over.
Summary
In Texas Hold'em Poker, you make a hand from your two cards and the five community cards, and at each of the four betting rounds you decide whether to continue or fold. The way you bet changes a lot depending on whether the table is limit or no-limit, so check the table format and the blind amounts before you sit down.
CASINO PASSPORT editorial team
The CASINO PASSPORT editorial team presents travel information that includes legal, real-world casinos abroad, explained clearly for travelers from Japan. We check facility information against official websites, operating companies and public tourism information, and update it with a focus on accuracy and freshness. We do not introduce or recommend online casinos.
Related casinos
Facility images include illustrations and photos provided by the facilities. Credits for provided photos are shown on each facility page.
Paradise Casino Walkerhill
A casino on Walkerhill-ro in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Foreign travelers can enter by showing their passport, and you must be 19 or older. It offers Baccarat and a range of other games.
Paradise City
A casino inside Paradise City, an integrated resort close to Incheon International Airport. It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Foreign travelers can enter by showing their passport, and you must be 19 or older.
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