Community Cards

Flop Game Community Cards

by Jesse Knight

Community Cards – The cards on the board, shared by all active players in a flop game.


Community cards are cards that are shared by all players. Most commonly, you will see them as the board cards in a flop game. Each player uses the community cards in conjunction with their private “hole cards” to make their best five card poker hand. In most flop games, five community cards are delivered over the course of three betting rounds. They are delivered in the following manner.

First, to begin the hand, the hole cards are dealt. If the game is Holdem, two hole cards are dealt. If the game is Pineapple, three hole cards are dealt. If the game is Omaha four hole cards are dealt. After a round of betting, a card is burned, and the community cards begin to be delivered, starting with the “flop.” The flop consists of three community cards placed face up on the board. Players may use these cards along with their hole cards to begin forming their hands. After the flop is delivered, there is a round of betting and another card is burned. A single community card, called the “turn,” is now delivered face up on the board, next to the flop. This triggers another round of betting. Again, a card is burned. The final community card, called the “river,” is delivered and placed on the board next to the turn. There is a final betting round, and then the hand is over.

In addition to being used in flop games, community cards are also occasionally used in Seven Card Stud games, if the dealer should run out of cards. This can happen because these games are traditionally spread eight handed. Each player can potentially receive seven cards, but there are only fifty-two cards in the deck. Before the last card (seventh street) is delivered, it is incumbent upon the dealer to make sure he has enough cards left in the deck to accommodate all remaining active players and still have at least one card left (because the bottom card on the deck is not in play). If the dealer is not sure how many cards remain, he must count them to check. If he does not have enough cards to accommodate all active players, he must proceed in the following manner before any seventh street (river) cards are dealt. If he is short by three cards or fewer (the number of cards in the burn on sixth street), he will shuffle in the burn, and complete the deal. However, if he is short by more than three cards, a community card must be used. If a community card is necessary, the burn will not be shuffled into the deck. Instead, the dealer will deliver one card; face up for all players to share as the river. This only happens when all eight players are active after sixth street betting.

Usage: Three Community Cards on the Flop

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