Board
The board is the set of community cards dealt face up on the table.
The simple explanation
The board is the set of community cards that all players share and can use to make their best hand. In hold'em and Omaha it is made of the flop, the turn and the river, five cards in all, dealt face up in the middle of the table.
A closer look
In stud games the word can also describe a player's face-up cards. The board is the main source of information in a flop game: its texture, whether the cards are connected, suited or paired, decides which hands are strong and which draws are possible. Players talk about wet and dry boards, paired boards and monotone boards. A hand can also play the board, which means the best five cards are all on the board and the hole cards add nothing.
A practical example
The flop, turn and river are K♠ 7♦ 2♣ 9♥ 4♠. Together they are the board.
Full explanation
The board is the set of community cards dealt face up on the table.
The board is the group of community cards that are placed face up on the table in a flop game. All players can use these cards, together with their own hole cards, to make their best five-card hand.
In hold’em the board arrives in three stages. The flop is three cards, the turn is one card and the river is one card. Betting takes place between the stages. In stud games the word can instead mean the face-up cards of a player.
The board texture is a central idea in strategy. A connected, suited board favors draws, a dry board favors made hands and a paired board changes which hands are possible.
When the five board cards make the best hand for a player and nobody can beat it, the player is said to play the board, and the pot is split with anyone else who holds the same.
Postflop
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
The betting after the flop is called postflop. Player B acts first.
Board: KKing of spades (Ks)77 of diamonds (7d)22 of hearts (2h)
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of hearts (Ah)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB 99 of clubs (9c)88 of clubs (8c) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.