hands
Rainbow
Also: rainbow flop
A flop of three different suits, meaning no flush can be made without both the turn and the river cooperating. Rainbow boards are the driest common texture and the easiest ones for the preflop raiser to bet into.
Example. King-eight-three rainbow is about as dry as a flop gets.
On a rainbow flop the only draws available are straight draws, so far fewer of an opponent's hands can continue with real equity. That is why small continuation bets work so well there: the bet does not need to be large to deny equity, because there is less equity to deny.
A two-tone flop, by contrast, has two cards of one suit and brings flush draws immediately into play; a monotone flop has all three.
Related terms
Full glossaryFrequently asked questions
What is the opposite of a rainbow flop?
A monotone flop, where all three cards share a suit; a two-tone flop sits in between.