Hole cards & the community board
In Texas Hold'em your two private hole cards fuse with five shared community cards in the middle. Your job is to build the best five-card poker hand from those seven, leaning on the poker hand rankings to know exactly what beats what.
Two cards that are yours alone
At the start of each hand you're dealt two cards face down. These are your hole cards (also called pocket cards). Only you can see them, and only you can use them. Everything else is public.
Five cards everyone shares
The community board arrives in the middle of the table in three stages: the flop (3 cards), the turn (1 card), and the river (1 card). All five are shared. Every player at the table combines the same board with their own private hole cards.
Build your best five from seven
With 2 hole cards plus 5 board cards you have seven cards to choose from. Your hand is simply the best possible five of those seven. With As Kd on that board you'd use both hole cards plus the two paired board cards to make two pair, aces and kings.
Which hand wins?
Two players go to showdown. Read the board and call the winner — instant feedback.
Tap the seat you think wins the pot.
— A straight (K-Q-J-10-9) beats three of a kind. The board never paired, so Marco's set of tens never improved to a full house.
Tap the seat you think wins the pot.
— Four sevens beat aces full. Quads sit above every full house — even one made with the top pair on board.
Tap the seat you think wins the pot.
— A flush beats a straight. Priya's A♦ 2♦ join the three board diamonds for the nut flush, edging out Sol's Broadway — a classic trap for players who see the straight first.
Same board, different worlds
Because the board is shared, the winner is decided by whose hole cards fit it best. One player might flop a set while another catches a flush and a third holds nothing. Reading which five cards make your strongest hand, and imagining what the board could give opponents, is the core skill of Hold'em.
- You hold 2 private hole cards; the board's 5 cards are shared by everyone at the table.
- Your hand is the best 5-card combination from your 7 available cards (2 hole + 5 board).
- The same board can make a monster for one player and nothing for another, depending on hole cards.
- You may use both, one, or even zero of your hole cards ('playing the board') to form your best five.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 16/20 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
How many private hole cards is each player dealt in Texas Hold'em?
Each player receives exactly two private hole cards at the start of a Texas Hold'em hand.
How many community cards are on the board by the river?
The board has five community cards total: three on the flop, one on the turn, and one on the river.
Who can use the community cards?
The community board is shared, so every remaining player combines it with their own hole cards.
A final hand in Hold'em is made of how many cards?
Your hand is the best five-card combination, chosen from your seven available cards.
How many total cards can a player choose from to make their hand?
Two hole cards plus five community cards give each player seven cards to pick their best five from.
The three cards dealt in the first community stage are called the:
The flop is the first three community cards revealed together.
The single card dealt after the flop is the:
The turn is the fourth community card, dealt after the flop.
The fifth and final community card is the:
The river is the fifth and final community card.
Can you win a hand using zero of your hole cards?
If the five community cards form your best hand, you play the board and use neither hole card.
You hold As Ks and the board is Ah Kc 7d 3s 2c. What is your best hand?
Your ace and king each pair with the board, giving two pair: aces and kings.
You hold 9h 9d and the board is 9s 4c Kh 2d 7s. What do you have?
Your pocket nines plus the nine on the board make three of a kind, a set.
Why can one board be great for you but useless for an opponent?
The board is identical for all, so different hole cards produce different final hands.
You hold Qh Jh and the board is 10h 9h 8c 2d 3s. What is your best hand?
Q-J-10-9-8 forms a five-card straight using both hole cards and three board cards.
You hold Ah 5h and the board is Kh 9h 2h 4c 7d. What is your best hand?
Your two hearts plus three hearts on the board make an ace-high flush.
If two players both play the board and have no better hand, what happens?
When players share the same best five-card hand from the board, they split the pot.
Your hole cards are private. Who else can see them during the hand?
Hole cards stay hidden from opponents until showdown, if a showdown occurs.
You hold 2c 7d and the board is Ah Ad Ac Ks Kh. What is your best hand?
The board itself makes aces full of kings; your weak hole cards can't improve it, so you play the board.
You hold Ks Kd and the board is Kh 8c 8d 3s 8h. What is your best hand?
Your two kings plus the board king make three kings, and any two of the three board eights complete the full house: kings full of eights, which beats eights full of kings.
How many community cards are revealed on the flop?
The flop reveals exactly three community cards at once.
You hold 6s 6h and the board is Kd Qc Jh 10s 9d. What is your best hand?
The board itself makes a K-high straight that beats your pair, so you play the board's straight.
Review — all 20 questions & answers tap to expand
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How many private hole cards is each player dealt in Texas Hold'em?
Answer 2
Each player receives exactly two private hole cards at the start of a Texas Hold'em hand.
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How many community cards are on the board by the river?
Answer 5
The board has five community cards total: three on the flop, one on the turn, and one on the river.
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Who can use the community cards?
Answer Every player at the table
The community board is shared, so every remaining player combines it with their own hole cards.
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A final hand in Hold'em is made of how many cards?
Answer 5
Your hand is the best five-card combination, chosen from your seven available cards.
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How many total cards can a player choose from to make their hand?
Answer 7
Two hole cards plus five community cards give each player seven cards to pick their best five from.
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The three cards dealt in the first community stage are called the:
Answer Flop
The flop is the first three community cards revealed together.
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The single card dealt after the flop is the:
Answer Turn
The turn is the fourth community card, dealt after the flop.
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The fifth and final community card is the:
Answer River
The river is the fifth and final community card.
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Can you win a hand using zero of your hole cards?
Answer Yes, by 'playing the board' when it's your best five
If the five community cards form your best hand, you play the board and use neither hole card.
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You hold As Ks and the board is Ah Kc 7d 3s 2c. What is your best hand?
Answer Two pair, aces and kings
Your ace and king each pair with the board, giving two pair: aces and kings.
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You hold 9h 9d and the board is 9s 4c Kh 2d 7s. What do you have?
Answer Three of a kind (set of nines)
Your pocket nines plus the nine on the board make three of a kind, a set.
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Why can one board be great for you but useless for an opponent?
Answer Players hold different hole cards
The board is identical for all, so different hole cards produce different final hands.
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You hold Qh Jh and the board is 10h 9h 8c 2d 3s. What is your best hand?
Answer Straight (Q-J-10-9-8)
Q-J-10-9-8 forms a five-card straight using both hole cards and three board cards.
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You hold Ah 5h and the board is Kh 9h 2h 4c 7d. What is your best hand?
Answer Flush (ace-high hearts)
Your two hearts plus three hearts on the board make an ace-high flush.
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If two players both play the board and have no better hand, what happens?
Answer The pot is split
When players share the same best five-card hand from the board, they split the pot.
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Your hole cards are private. Who else can see them during the hand?
Answer No one, until showdown
Hole cards stay hidden from opponents until showdown, if a showdown occurs.
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You hold 2c 7d and the board is Ah Ad Ac Ks Kh. What is your best hand?
Answer Full house, aces full of kings
The board itself makes aces full of kings; your weak hole cards can't improve it, so you play the board.
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You hold Ks Kd and the board is Kh 8c 8d 3s 8h. What is your best hand?
Answer Full house, kings full of eights
Your two kings plus the board king make three kings, and any two of the three board eights complete the full house: kings full of eights, which beats eights full of kings.
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How many community cards are revealed on the flop?
Answer 3
The flop reveals exactly three community cards at once.
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You hold 6s 6h and the board is Kd Qc Jh 10s 9d. What is your best hand?
Answer Straight, K-Q-J-10-9
The board itself makes a K-high straight that beats your pair, so you play the board's straight.