Texas Hold'em Poker with AI Bots: Built With Pure HTML, CSS & JavaScript

Building a playable Texas Hold'em poker game with AI opponents using only vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is a compelling demonstration of what can be achieved with core web technologies. No React, no Node, no frameworks—just the browser and the fundamentals.

In this article, we break down how such a project is structured and what makes it work.

Watch the demo: This Texas Hold'em Poker Game Has AI Bots — Built With Pure HTML, CSS & JS

How It's Structured

1. HTML: Semantic Markup for the Game Table

The HTML layer defines the game board: the poker table, player seats, community cards, and action controls. A typical structure includes:

• A container for the table (felt, betting area)
• Card slots for each player (hole cards) and the community cards (flop, turn, river)
• Chips and pot display elements
• Action buttons: Fold, Call, Raise, Check
• Status text for game flow (whose turn, winner announcement)

Everything is structured with semantic elements so the game state can be updated via the DOM.

2. CSS: Visual Representation of Cards and Table

CSS handles the visual design:

• Card dimensions and layouts (back faces, front faces with suit and rank)
• Animations for dealing cards, flipping, and chips moving to the pot
• Responsive layouts so the game works on different screen sizes
• Styling for player seats, the dealer button, and bet amounts

No images are strictly required—cards can be rendered with CSS (borders, pseudo-elements, or simple SVG) for a lightweight implementation.

3. JavaScript: Game Logic and AI

The JavaScript layer is the core. It handles:

• Deck and card logic: Shuffling, dealing, and hand evaluation
• Hand ranking: Functions to compare hands (high card, pair, two pair, flush, straight, full house, etc.)
• Game state: Whose turn, current bet, pot size, player stacks, fold status
• Betting rounds: Pre-flop, flop, turn, river with validation (call, raise, all-in)
• AI decision engine: Logic for bots to fold, call, raise, or check based on hand strength, pot odds, and bluffing probability
• DOM updates: Reflect the current game state in the UI

AI bots typically use a combination of:

• Hand strength evaluation (e.g., based on outs, made hands, drawing potential)
• Pot odds to decide when to call or fold
• Bluffing probability to make the game feel natural
• Difficulty levels by adjusting aggression and risk tolerance

4. Architecture Patterns

Common approaches in such projects:

• Game state object: A single object or module tracking players, deck, community cards, pot, and current phase
• Event-driven flow: User clicks and AI "thinking" timers trigger state changes
• Render loop: A function that reads state and updates the DOM (no virtual DOM needed)
• LocalStorage or URL parameters: Some implementations persist game state so you can resume or share a game link
• Fully client-side: No server required—everything runs in the browser, even in airplane mode

Why Pure HTML, CSS & JS?

• Portability: Runs anywhere a browser runs—no build step, no npm install
• Learning value: Forces understanding of DOM manipulation, event handling, and state management
• Performance: Minimal overhead, fast load times
• Simplicity: Easy to inspect, modify, and extend

Get the Full Source Code

Want to build your own Texas Hold'em poker game with AI bots or learn from a complete, well-structured implementation? The full source code is available for purchase and includes:

• Complete game logic with hand ranking and betting rules
• Configurable AI opponents with adjustable difficulty
• Responsive design and smooth animations
• Clean, commented code ready for learning and customization

Get the source code on Payhip — a one-time purchase gives you lifetime access to the full project and future updates.

Conclusion

A Texas Hold'em poker game with AI bots built in pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript shows that complex, engaging applications are possible with the basics. The structure is clear: HTML for structure, CSS for presentation, JavaScript for logic and interaction. Understanding this architecture helps any developer appreciate the power of vanilla web technologies and provides a solid foundation for more advanced projects.