What is the Flop in Poker? Explaining Hand Types, Probabilities, and Basic Strategy

The “flop” in poker has two meanings and is an extremely important term when playing poker.

In this article, we will introduce the meaning of the “flop,” card patterns and probabilities, the order of play, and a list of hands.

For those who want to know about poker (Texas Hold’em), check out the “[Easy for Anyone] Basic Poker Rules and How to Play! Thorough Explanation of Types, History, and Hand Strength” article!

What is the “Flop” in Poker?

The “flop” in poker has two meanings.

The first is the three community cards that are dealt first.

The other is the second betting round where you decide which action to take once the first three community cards and your two hole cards are known.

By the way, in the first betting round before the flop round, the community cards are unrevealed, and you make various decisions based only on your two hole cards.

In the flop round, being able to confirm five out of the seven total cards allows for more in-depth maneuvering and decision-making for your actions.

Order After the Flop

From the flop onwards, the game proceeds in clockwise order starting from the Small Blind (SB).

In the pre-flop, the action begins with Under the Gun (UTG) in the early position, meaning the SB is the second-to-last position.

Be careful as the order of play changes significantly.

For more on positional order and how to play, please see the “What are Poker Positions | Order and Advantageous Playstyle with Starting Hands Explained” article.

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Card Patterns and Probabilities on the Flop

The card patterns and probabilities on the flop are as follows.

Card Content	Probability
Probability of all cards being different	56%
Probability of a rainbow board (board with 3 different suits)	40%
Probability of a pair appearing	17%
Probability of a monotone board (board with only the same suit)	5.2%
Probability of 3 of the same card appearing	0.24 %

By knowing the probability of what cards are likely to appear, it is possible to plan your strategy from the flop onwards.

For more on poker probabilities, please refer to the “Poker Probabilities! List of Hand Formation Probabilities and Calculation Methods in Texas Hold’em” article.

List of Hands Formed on the Flop

Your hand (rank) on the flop significantly affects the subsequent gameplay.

Remember these eight flop situations and use them in your strategy.

Top Pair

“Top pair” is when one of your hole cards forms a pair with the strongest card among the three community cards.

Overpair

An “overpair” is when your hole cards are a pair that is stronger than any of the cards on the community board.

Flush Draw

A “flush draw” is when four cards total—including your hole cards and two of the three community cards—are of the same suit.

It is a high expected-value situation because the flush is completed if one more card of the same suit appears.

Open-Ended Straight Draw

An “open-ended straight draw” is when four cards from your hole cards and community cards have consecutive numbers.

It is a high expected-value situation because a straight is formed if one more consecutive number appears.

Monster Draw

When a “flush draw” and an “open-ended straight draw” are combined, it becomes a “monster draw.”

A flush or straight will be completed if one more card of the same suit or a consecutive number appears.

Also, if a card with a consecutive number and the same suit appears, you can expect to complete a straight flush.

For example, if your hand is ♥5 ♥6 and the community cards are ♥7 ♥8, a straight is formed if any 4 or 9 other than ♥ appears, and a flush is formed if any ♥ other than 4 or 9 appears. If a ♥4 or ♥9 appears, a ♥ straight flush is completed.

Gutshot

A “gutshot” is when a straight is one card away from completion, but the numbers in your hand and the community cards are not consecutive.

For example, a situation like A-2-3-5 where a middle number is missing applies here.

Although similar to an “open-ended straight draw,” the expected value is lower because the hand (rank) cannot be formed unless one specific number appears.

Double Gutshot

A “double gutshot” is a situation very similar to a “gutshot.”

A “double gutshot” is when there are two types of cards among five consecutive numbers that can complete a straight.

For example, if the cards are A-3-4-6-7, a straight is formed if a 2 or a 5 appears.

Since either of the two numbers will work, the expected value is about the same as an “open-ended straight draw.”

Overcard

An “overcard” is when one of your hole cards is stronger than any of the three community cards.

It is a good hand with a high possibility of becoming a top pair with the remaining two community cards, but it is not particularly flashy.

For example, if your hand is A-5 and the community cards are 6-J-3, the A in your hand is the strongest, so it is an overcard.

Basic Flop Strategy and Post-Flop Play

On the flop, you must plan your strategy according to your hand content and position and play skillfully.

For example, a basic strategy for a top pair is to not fold if the community card is a J or higher, and to call up to 2 bets if it is a 10 or lower.

It is also important to be able to judge if your hand is the “Nuts” in terms of how strong it is.

Checking the win rates for starting hands alongside this will make it easier to plan your post-flop play. For more on starting hands, please check the “[Basic Poker Knowledge] What are Starting Hands?” article.

Learn Flop Strategy and Get Stronger at Poker!

The term “flop” in poker has two meanings: the “first 3 community cards dealt“ and the “second betting round,” though it is used in the latter sense in most cases.

Note that the order of play on the flop changes from the pre-flop, which is the first betting round.

Also, regarding flop strategy and post-flop play, it changes based on what appears in the community cards.

There are probabilities for how cards appear, and you should remember them to become a strong player.

To become able to play advantageously from the flop onwards, it is important to learn strategy and gain experience in actual matches.

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