WPT Global Texas Hold'em rules (NLHE): hand flow and platform-specific rules

No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLHE) on WPT Global follows the standard international rules, and the in-app Rules page describes the standard flow. What you really need to watch for are the platform’s table types and a few specific rules, all covered here.

This page focuses on situations you’ll actually run into on WPT Global.

How a hand plays out

According to the in-app rules page:

1. Blinds: The player to the left of the button posts the small blind, and the next player posts the big blind. Each player is dealt two hole cards.
2. Preflop (Preflop): Starting with the player to the left of the big blind, players act clockwise — call, raise, or fold.
3. Flop (Flop): Three community cards are dealt. Starting with the first active player to the left of the button, players can check, bet, raise, or fold.
4. Turn (Turn): The fourth community card is dealt, followed by another betting round.
5. River (River): The fifth community card is dealt, followed by the final betting round.
6. Showdown (Showdown): Cards are shown based on the river action or seat order, and the best hand wins the pot.

No limit means that when it’s your turn, you can bet up to all the chips you have on the table (All-in). For hand strength, see hand rankings.

Platform-specific rules

Incomplete all-ins don’t reopen the betting

When someone goes all-in but the amount is less than a full raise:

• Players who have already acted: can only call or fold — no re-raising.
• Players who haven’t acted yet: can raise as usual.

Example: Blinds are 1/2. A raises to 6, B calls 6, and C goes all-in for 8 (only 2 more than 6, less than the full raise size of 4). When the action returns to A and B, they can only call 8 or fold — they can’t raise.

This is the standard international rule (TDA rules). The app disables the raise button for you, so you don’t need to work it out yourself.

Straddle tables

Tables whose blinds show three numbers (for example 1/2/4) have a mandatory straddle: an extra blind of 2x the big blind preflop, which also changes the order of action. See straddle rules.

Bomb Pot tables

Tables labeled Bomb NLHE trigger Bomb Pots from time to time: everyone posts a large ante and play starts directly on the flop. See Bomb Pot rules.

Sit Out has a daily limit

You can’t use Sit Out without limit. Once you’ve used up your daily allowance, you can’t use it again that day. See Sit Out.

Jackpot

At tables with a jackpot, a royal flush, straight flush, or four of a kind can win you a share of the jackpot pool. See Jackpot rules.

All-in insurance

Some tables offer all-in insurance. Whether it’s available depends on the table rules. Key points from the rules page:

• It’s only offered when everyone in the hand is all-in, and it’s bought by the player in the main pot who is currently ahead.
• You can insure up to the entire pot you’re involved in.
• Insurance is not offered when there are more than 3 players in the main pot, or when players are currently tied.
• Odds are calculated after all hands are revealed, using the formula (remaining cards ÷ opponent's outs) × 0.95 − 1, rounded to one decimal place. Insurance isn’t offered if the odds are below 0.1.
• Insurance on the turn can’t exceed 1/3 of the pot.
• You can’t insure only some of the outs (partial outs).
• The premium is taken from the pot.
• If you buy insurance and get outdrawn on the next card, you’re paid based on the odds. If you buy insurance on the flop and are still ahead on the turn, you can buy insurance again for the river.

Insurance trades a small premium for less loss when you get outdrawn. Over the long run, the premium itself costs money, so it isn’t always worth buying.

Other game types

• Short Deck: 36 cards, antes instead of blinds, and a flush beats a full house. See Short Deck rules.
• Omaha: 4 or 5 hole cards, and you must use exactly 2. See Omaha rules.
• Pace: fast-fold. See Pace.

FAQ

Is Texas Hold'em on WPT Global the same as the standard rules?

The basic flow is the same — small blind, big blind, two hole cards each, five community cards, four betting rounds, no limit. The differences are in the platform's table types and features, such as straddle tables, Bomb Pot tables, Pace fast-fold, and a daily limit on Sit Out.

Someone went all-in for less than a full raise. Can I still raise?

If you've already acted in this round, you can only call or fold — you can't raise again. An incomplete all-in doesn't reopen the betting. Players who haven't acted yet can raise as usual.

Who shows first at showdown?

Cards are shown based on the river action or seat order, and the best hand wins the pot. At tables with Auto muck turned on, the losing hand is mucked automatically without being shown.

What is Insurance on WPT Global?

Some tables offer all-in insurance. When everyone is all-in, the player currently ahead can buy insurance. If they get outdrawn on a later card, they're paid out based on the odds. Whether it's offered depends on the table rules.