Flop, Turn, and River in Poker Explained

In Texas Hold’em, the flop, turn, and river are the three stages where community cards hit the board. The flop is the first three cards, dealt together; the turn is the fourth card; the river is the fifth and last. Each is followed by a round of betting, and every player combines these five shared cards with their two private hole cards to make the best five-card hand. Understanding what each street is — and when it comes — is the foundation of everything postflop.

The order of a Hold’em hand

A hand of Texas Hold’em unfolds in four betting stages:

1. Preflop — you get two hole cards; the first betting round happens before any community cards.
2. The flop — three community cards are dealt face-up at once, then a betting round.
3. The turn — a fourth community card is dealt, then a betting round.
4. The river — a fifth community card is dealt, then the final betting round and showdown.

Everything from the flop onward is postflop — the phase where the community cards exist and the real strategy begins.

What is the flop?

The flop is the first three community cards, dealt face-up together after the preflop betting round. It’s the biggest single jump in information in the whole hand: you go from two cards to five, and you instantly know most of what your final hand can be. This is where you first learn whether you’ve connected — top pair, a draw, or nothing.

Before the flop is dealt, the dealer “burns” one card (discards it face down) to protect against marked cards, then turns over the three flop cards.

What is the turn?

The turn is the fourth community card, dealt as a single card after the flop’s betting round (again following a burn card). It’s sometimes called “fourth street.”

The turn matters because pots and bets tend to get bigger here, and one card can dramatically change who’s ahead — completing a flush, filling a straight, or pairing the board. Playing it well means reading how the new card changed both ranges. For the full strategy, see how to play the turn.

What is the river?

The river is the fifth and final community card, dealt after the turn’s betting round. It’s also called “fifth street.” No more cards come after it — the river is followed by the last betting round, and then showdown, where remaining players reveal their hands.

Because there are no more cards to come, river play is pure: draws are either made or dead, and every bet is for value or a bluff with no more equity to fall back on. See how to play the river for the details.

Betting rounds by street

Each street has its own betting round. Here’s how they line up:

Street	Community cards	Running total	Betting round
Preflop	0	0	Yes (blinds posted)
Flop	3 (dealt together)	3	Yes
Turn	1	4	Yes
River	1	5	Yes (final)

Four betting rounds in total. Action always moves clockwise, and on every postflop street the player in the worst position acts first — which is exactly why position is such a strong advantage.

Worked example: reading the runout

You hold A♥ K♥. The hand runs out like this:

• Flop: Q♥ 9♥ 4♣. You have ace-high plus the nut flush draw — two hearts away from the best flush. Strong, but nothing made yet.
• Turn: 2♥. Fourth street brings a third heart. You now have the nut flush — the best possible hand right now.
• River: 2♠. The board pairs, but it doesn’t beat your flush unless someone made a full house. You bet for value into the final round.

That’s the flop-turn-river sequence in action: information arrives one street at a time, and your plan updates with each card. Knowing how many cards remain also tells you how to count your outs and odds on each street.

Common beginner confusions

• Thinking the turn or river is dealt three at a time. Only the flop is three cards; the turn and river are one each.
• Forgetting the burn card. A card is discarded before the flop, turn, and river — it doesn’t affect your hand, just deck security.
• Mixing up “fourth street” and “fifth street.” Fourth street is the turn, fifth street is the river.
• Assuming you must use exactly your two hole cards. You use your best five of the seven available — sometimes that means playing the board.

Put it together

Flop, turn, river: three postflop stages, five community cards, four betting rounds. Once the sequence is second nature, you can focus on the real game — how to bet, check, and read the board on each street. Move on to turn play and river play, and use the postflop hub as your guide to every street.