Flop

The first three community cards, dealt face up at the same time after the pre-flop betting round. In hold'em and Omaha they are shared by every player still in the hand.

Because three of the five community cards appear at once, so most of the board is revealed in one moment and hand values change more than at any other point. It is also the first street where an opponent's actions reveal how their hand connects with specific cards.

How the flop cards interact with each other. Dry boards are unpaired, unsuited and spread out, so few draws exist and made hands are safe. Wet boards are suited or connected, so many draws are live and strong hands need protection. Texture determines sizing and how often a bet will work.

Roughly one time in eight. That figure is the basis of set-mining: playing a small pair cheaply in the hope of flopping a set, which requires that the pot be large enough when it hits to justify the times it does not.