Module 1 · Lesson 2 of 39 · Free
Dealing and the four betting rounds
Every hand starts with two private cards. Then come three shared cards (the flop), one more (the turn), and one last card (the river). A round of betting follows each deal. If everyone but one player folds, the hand ends early.
The hand
The flop at a table of six. Each player got two hole cards, one card was burned and three were turned face up. The only cards you can see are your A♣ 5♦ and the A♥ K♠ 9♦ in the middle.
Predict first
How many of the 52 cards have you not seen on this flop?
- 37: the other five players hold 10 of them
- 47: every card but your two and the flop
- 46: the burned card is gone too
Show the answer
Answer: 47: every card but your two and the flop
You have seen five cards, so 52 − 5 = 47 are unseen: 10 in the other hands, 1 burned and 36 still in the deck, 10 + 1 + 36 = 47. You cannot tell which card is where, so odds on the flop are counted over all 47, at any table size.
A betting round follows each deal: preflop, then on the flop, the turn and the river, each played in the order of action from the first lesson. A round ends when every player still in has had a turn and has put in as much as the others, or is all in. If all but one player fold, the hand stops at once: no more cards are dealt, and the last player takes the pot without showing his cards. If two or more players are still in after the river, they turn their cards over at the showdown.
Explore the numbers: the cost of blinds
A hand at a table of six uses at most 20 of the 52 cards: 12 hole cards, 3 burned and 5 on the board. They come out in four deals, each followed by a round of betting, and the hand can stop after any of them. The other 32 cards never leave the deck.
Follow the deck through a hand at six players. The dealer gives one card at a time to each player, starting with the player to the left of the button, until everyone has two: 6 × 2 = 12 cards. Before the flop he burns one card face down and deals three face up; before the turn and before the river he burns one and deals one. That makes 12 + 3 + 5 = 20 cards, and 52 − 20 = 32 stay in the deck. From your seat you see only your 2 cards and the board: 52 − 2 = 50 unseen before the flop, 50 − 3 = 47 on the flop, 46 on the turn and 45 on the river.
Formula
Cards dealt = 2 × players + 3 burned + 5 on the board: 2 × 6 + 3 + 5 = 20. Unseen from your seat = 52 − 2 − board cards: 50, 47, 46, 45
Check your understanding
How many betting rounds are there in a full hand of Hold’em?
Show the answer
Answer: 4
There are 4 betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn and river.
How many community cards are dealt on the flop?
Show the answer
Answer: 3
The flop brings 3 community cards. The turn and river each add 1.
Three players see the flop. The first checks, the second bets 4 bb and the third calls. Is the betting on the flop over?
- Yes: the bet has been called
- Yes: all three players have acted
- No: the first player must still answer the bet
Show the answer
Answer: No: the first player must still answer the bet
A round ends only when everyone still in has put in the same amount. The first player checked before the bet, so he must still fold, call or raise.