Flop
Hands Level · Beginner Aliases: the flop, flop round, second street
The flop is the first three community cards, dealt together, and the second betting street.
What is Flop
The flop is the first three community cards, dealt all at once after preflop betting closes, and the name also covers the betting round that follows. In live poker the dealer usually burns the top card first, then turns three cards face up; online the process happens automatically. Once the flop lands, players see for the first time how their hole cards fit the board and begin assessing made hands, draws and both ranges. The flop is not three separate streets — it is one street with three cards dealt together. Action starts with the first remaining player to the left of the button, and the exact order depends on table size and who is still in the hand.
On the felt
Table6-max cash game
PositionBTN vs BB
FlopA♠7♦2♣
ActionBB checks after the flop, BTN bets 1.8BB
Example
You hold A♥K♥ on the button, raise preflop, and the big blind calls. The dealer puts out A♠7♦2♣ — that is the flop. The big blind checks and you bet 1.8BB into 5.5BB.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the flop is dealt one card at a time. All three community cards come at once.
- Thinking the flop is the first betting street. Preflop betting has already happened, so the flop is the second.
Related terms
Bad Beat
A bad beat is a hand that was a heavy favourite when the chips went in but lost to an unlikely runout.
Cooler
A cooler is a collision where both players hold very strong hands and neither can reasonably avoid it.
Full House
A full house is a five-card hand made of three of a kind plus a pair.
Kicker
A kicker is a side card that is not part of the main hand and breaks ties between equal hands.
Nuts
The nuts is the strongest possible hand on the current board — no legal holding can beat it.
River
The river is the fifth and final community card, followed by the last round of betting.