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Cash game rules

Stacked currently runs Texas Hold'em cash games — fixed blinds, free entry and exit, and standard Hold'em rules at the table.

How a hand plays out​

Each hand follows the standard Texas Hold'em flow:

  1. Pre-flop. Small blind and big blind post. Each player gets two hole cards. Action starts to the left of the big blind.
  2. Flop. Three community cards. Action starts to the left of the button.
  3. Turn. A fourth community card. Same action order.
  4. River. A fifth community card. Same action order.
  5. Showdown. Remaining players reveal. Best five-card hand wins the pot.

If you're new to Hold'em, the Wikipedia article on Texas Hold'em is a clean reference for hand rankings and betting structure.

Blinds and the button​

Each hand has a button (the dealer position), a small blind posted by the player to the button's left, and a big blind posted by the next player clockwise. On Stacked, the big blind is always at least twice the small blind.

After each hand, the button moves clockwise to the next active player. If a seat goes empty or sits out, the system handles the rotation behind the scenes — you don't need to track it.

Missed blinds​

If you sit out and miss your big blind, you owe that big blind before you can be dealt back in. Two options when you return:

  • Post the missed blind immediately — you're dealt in on the next hand.
  • Wait for the big blind to reach your seat naturally — you're dealt in the moment it does.

If you sit out and don't miss any blinds, you simply rejoin on the next deal.

All-in pots and side pots​

If you go all-in for less than the current bet, you can only win what's matched up to your stack. Any extra goes into a side pot contested only among players who covered the larger bet. Main pot and side pots are tracked and paid out separately at showdown.

Heads-up​

When two players are at the table, the button posts the small blind and the other player posts the big blind. Pre-flop, the small blind (button) acts first; post-flop, the small blind acts last.

Cash game, not tournament​

Stacked currently runs cash games only. Blinds don't increase over time, and you can join or leave between hands without losing your stack — your stack is your stack until you withdraw it. Tournament-style play is on the roadmap; we'll document it when it's ready.

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