Rules of Play - the Flop

After the first betting round, when all the players have been dealt their hole cards, the dealer discards the top card of the deck. This is known as "burning the card" and is done to ensure that none of the players will have accidentally seen the top card, and to help prevent cheating. Obviously in an online setting this is not a problem. However the practice continues in the name of tradition.

Once the top card has been burnt, the dealer then deals three cards that are placed face up on the table. This is known as the "flop." and the cards in the middle are known as community cards.

After the flop has been dealt, the players remaining in the hand make another round of bets. Again the betting always begins with the player to the left of the dealer (the button). Players can either check, call, raise, re-raise or fold according their turn to bet. Once this sequence has been completed, it's time to go down to Fourth Street.