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Understanding Community Cards in Poker: Basics Plus Strategy
The way the community cards are included in poker can change the mechanics of the games. These shared cards on the table form part of the way strategies are built and bluffs are called. But what exactly are community cards, and why do they matter so much?
What Are Community Cards?
It may sound like something handed out to neighbors on their birthdays, but community cards are something entirely different in poker. These are the cards placed face-up in the center of the poker table that all players can potentially use. These cards belong to no one but are available to everyone and can help each player to for a stronger hand. They form part of each player’s hand and can be used in combination with the hole cards people get at the start of the game.
Different types of poker have different rules. Not every variation has these cards included in the gameplay. Texas Hold Em is the most popular form of the game at the moment with millions of players. In the Texas Hold’Em rules, we see that there are a total of three different community cards drawn after the first round of betting and then two more after that.
The flop is when three community cards are first drawn. The turn is revealed after another betting round and then finally, there's the river – the fifth and final community card completing the set that everybody has to work with.
Community cards can shape the game in significant ways. They provide common ground for all players, which makes the game less predictable. Everyone sees the same cards so the challenge becomes making the most out of them but also thinking about how things can change or what the other players are holding.
There are lots of examples of games being totally transformed due to the fact that certain cards were drawn as community cards and it can alter which player is in a better position. This video shows a game being revolutionized by the drawing of these community cards.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9D8qcavwZK/
Source: jalil shams: www.pexels.com/sk-sk/photo/1007523/
What Community Cards Add to The Game
Without the addition of community cards, there would be much less in the way of strategy throughout the game. Understanding these cards is a poker fundamental as much as getting enough sleep and making sure the rules are understood. All players are reacting to the same information, trying to gauge not just the strength of their own hand but also what everyone else might be holding.
The cards can change everything in a second. A promising hand could quickly look different when the community cards don't line up as hoped, or a seemingly weak hand can transform into one of the strongest-ranked poker hands with the right combination. A pair in the hole might suddenly become three or four-of-a-kind or even a full house depending on what lands on the community cards.
As the cards are drawn the strategy really comes to the fore. Some boards are described as being wet, meaning they have the potential for strong hands like straights or flushes. Others are dry with fewer options for such hands.
A flop with three cards of the same suit is wet, suggesting a flush could be in the making for players who have more cards in this suit. On the other hand, a flop with cards of different suits and values may be considered dry. There’s less chance of big hands forming.
Recognizing these patterns helps players strategize and try to read the possible hands that opponents might be holding or whether they are bluffing. If the community cards present several straight possibilities, it’s wise to consider the chance that another player might already have one – but then, it is also possible they might have seen these cards and decided they would bluff. This is where the psychological aspect of poker comes into it. Players who have provided tutorials and even given interviews about their experiences playing poker may share their tips on how to spot bluffing with a whole section dedicated to this in Dan Negreanu’s Masterclass.
Conclusion
Community cards are a fundamental part of some forms of the game of poker. Texas Hold Em has five community cards in total and this varies in other formats. This part of the game is relevant for strategy and is one of the basic elements for players to learn about how poker works.