Board texture
Also: flop texture, wet board, dry board
The shape of the community cards and what it implies about which hands are strong on them. A board is dry when few draws are possible and wet when straights and flushes are, and static when later cards rarely change who is winning, dynamic when they often do.
Texture drives almost every postflop decision. On a dry, disconnected board the preflop raiser can bet small and often, because the caller's range has hit very little and nothing is likely to improve. On a wet, connected board bets need to be larger, checks are more frequent, and the turn card matters enormously.
The useful question is not whether the board is scary but whose range it favours. A board of three low connected cards is wet, yet it is also far better for the player who called than for the one who raised — which is why texture and range advantage have to be read together.
Related terms
Full glossaryFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wet and a dry board?
A wet board offers many straight and flush possibilities; a dry board is disconnected and offers few.
What makes a board static?
Later cards rarely change who has the best hand, so the flop winner usually stays the winner.