Flop, Turn, River
The three stages of community cards dealt in Texas Hold'em and Omaha poker.
In community card games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha, the board is dealt in three stages: the flop (first three community cards), the turn (fourth card), and the river (fifth and final card). There's a round of betting after each stage.
The flop is the most significant moment — it reveals 60% of the community cards at once and dramatically clarifies hand strength. The turn and river each add one card and one betting round.
The term "river" supposedly comes from riverboat gambling, where a card was sometimes dealt "down the river" — and indeed, many crucial decisions in poker come down to the river card.
Related Terms
Position (Poker)
Where you sit relative to the dealer button, determining when you act in each betting round.
Pot Odds
The ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call, used to determine if a call is profitable.
Continuation Bet (C-Bet)
A bet on the flop by the pre-flop raiser, regardless of whether the flop improved their hand.
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