Poker Dictionary (106) > Flop

The Flop - Online Poker

'The Flop' is the first three community cards dealt in a community card game such as Texas Hold'em and would be followed by the second betting round. The flop is the first time in which players will see whether their hole cards have improved or not. Very often the flop sees the most people fold to a bet (when they miss). These cards are called community cards as they are dealt face up and are shared by all players in the hand.

The flop is frequently a game changer as a super strong pre flop hand, such as A-K or A-A can be made to look second best on the flop. Let's assume you hold K-K and the flop comes A-Q-Q. You bet and your opponent raises all in. This is a horrible flop and very likely a fold, unless there is information at hand that suggests you might still be good. Any A or Q, which are both very playable starting cards, and your running pretty thin, potentially drawing to only one of your two final Kings in the deck. We must also consider that one or both of those kings has already been dealt to an opponent who folded early. You could be drawing dead.

It is important to recognise that things can change considerably once the flop is dealt.

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