Do you burn a card before the flop?

Yes — one card face down before the flop, the turn and the river (three burns per hand). It protects against marked or accidentally exposed cards.

Who gets the first card in Texas Hold'em?

The small blind — the first player left of the dealer button. The button always receives the last card of each round of dealing.

Who shows their cards first at showdown?

The player who made the last bet or raise on the river. If everyone checked, the first active player left of the button shows first.

How to deal Texas Hold'em

Seven steps, three burn cards, button moves clockwise. Here's the full routine a dealer runs every single hand.

Button & blinds. Dealer button set; small blind and big blind posted to its left.
Hole cards. One card at a time, face down, clockwise — starting with the small blind, ending on the button. Twice around.
Preflop betting. Starts left of the big blind (under the gun).
Burn, flop. Top card face down into the muck, then three cards face up.
Bet, burn, turn. Betting round; burn; fourth card face up.
Bet, burn, river. Betting round; burn; fifth card face up.
Showdown. Final betting; last aggressor shows first; best five of seven wins. Push the pot, move the button.

Why burn cards?

The burn protects the deck: if the top card were marked, bent or glimpsed, nobody can profit from knowing it. Casinos burn before every street — do the same at home and half your card-handling arguments disappear.

Home-game mistakes to avoid

Dealing the button first (the small blind starts), dealing two cards at once, skipping burns, and exposing a card on the deal — an exposed hole card should be shown to everyone and replaced after the round, becoming the next burn. And keep the deck low over the table: flashing the bottom card is the oldest leak there is.

New to the flow of the hand itself? Walk through it interactively in how a hand works.