Poker is a game which seems to divide opinions among prospective players. Some from the word go despise it owing to its ‘complex’ nature while others fall in love owing to this ‘complex’ nature. This, therefore, begs the question, is poker complex? Well, it’s not an easy question to answer. What we can say is that the numerous strategies and gameplay experience the game offers certainly makes some people feel that it is a complex game.
Well, to simplify the game, we are going to explore the question, of what is a flop in poker as this is one of the critical things to know in poker. Knowing fully what a flop is helping simplify the game and make it more accommodating to different player types.
Getting to Understand a Flop in Poker
When it comes to most poker variants such as Omaha Hold ‘em and Texas Hold ‘em, flop as a verb can be used to refer to two different things (also you can better familiarize yourself with poker terms here). These are explored below:
- Dealer Flop
The first meaning of flop can be referenced as the dealer flop. The dealer flop refers to when the dealer deals with the first three community cards. These cards can be used by all players on the poker table to construct a 5-card hand. Once the dealer flops, a betting round ensues. It’s because of this that the flop is also referred to as a betting round when playing most poker variants. The next betting round after the flop is the turn.
- Player Flop
There is also what is known as the player flop. The player flops when s/he makes a hand out of the first three face-up cards. This isn’t a common scenario but can happen at times during the game.
The Origins of Poker Flop
There isn’t any universal agreement as to when and how the poker flop came about. However, there is a general consensus among poker lovers that the nature of how the dealer deals the community cards in the flop betting round led to the round being named flop. Particularly, the sound made by the three flop cards as they are turned necessitated the betting round to be called, flop.
Players ought to note that during the flop betting round, the dealer deals the three flop cards face down individually. Once done, they are all turned at once face up. It is during this turning phase that they create a sound that many associates with a ‘flopping’ sound.
Reading My Hand During the Flop
Some poker games may end as quickly as the game started. To win early, players need to know how to read their hand at any stage during the game. during the flop, a hand consists of both the three cards on the flop as well as the hole cards.
As we conclude, we just want to highlight the fact that flop in poker only applies to games with community cards.
