Flop
The first three community cards, dealt face up together after the preflop betting round.
Before the flop the dealer burns one card, then turns three cards face up at once. A second round of betting follows, starting with the first active player to the left of the button.
The flop reveals five of the seven cards you will use, so it defines most hands. The two-street lookahead (turn and river) is why flop decisions shape the whole pot.
Example
You hold AQ and the flop comes Q72: top pair with a flush draw.
Questions players ask
- Why is it called the flop?
- The three cards are "flopped" face up at the same moment. The term spread from Texas card rooms in the 1960s along with the game itself.
- What are the odds of flopping a set?
- With a pocket pair you flop a set or better about 11.8% of the time, roughly 1 in 8.5.