Flop, Turn, River - The five community cards

After the initial round of betting the dealer deals three cards face up on the table, so that everyone can see them. They do not belong to one particular player, indeed everyone can use them to create their 5-card poker hand. This is why they are called community cards.

Now begins the second round of betting, during which you can place additional money in the pot, or fold. At the end of the round, the bets are collected as usual and put into the pot. Then comes the turn.

A fourth community card, the turn, is dealt on the table. It is also used in combination with the other cards to form your poker hand.

The players who are still in the hand engage in a third round of betting, at the end of which the bets are collected and placed in the pot. After the turn comes the river.

The river is the fifth and final community card to be dealt. It is of course also used in combination with the other cards to form each player's hand.

In the ensuing fourth round of betting you can bet once more. After this round of betting, the players who are still in the hand show their cards. This is called the showdown, and is explained in detail on the next page.