BETTING ROUNDS
Holdem has four betting rounds, each corresponding to a different stage of the deal. You start with two cards dealt facedown.
These are the only two cards that will be uniquely yours, hidden from other players. All other cards are community cards, dealt faceup in the middle of the table.
There will be five community cards faceup at the showdown. These are cards placed in the middle of the table and shared by all players.
The community cards are called the board and are dealt facefup in three stages:
1. Three cards are dealt at once, called the flop.
2. Then the fourth card is dealt, called the turn.
3. Then the fifth card is dealt, called the “river” (or end).
Before each of the three stages, the dealer will burn a card, that is, he discards a card facedown. After each stage of dealing, there is a betting round.
Your poker hand is formed from the best five cards chosen from any combination of your two-card hand and the five-card board. You can use zero, one, or both of your cards in your final poker hand.
Your Hand and the First Betting Round
Each player is dealt his two-card hand. The first round of betting begins with posting of the blinds.
These blind bets are required; they are automatic and must be posted by the first two players to the left of the button.
The first player to the left of the big blind is the first player with discretionary action. Each player, in turn, can either fold, call the big blind bet, or raise.
The play proceeds around the table to the blinds. The small blind can fold, call for the difference between the current bet and his small blind amount, or raise.
When it reaches the big blind, if there has been a raise he can either fold, or call the raise, or reraise.
If there has not been a raise, he can either check or raise-his blind is already the amount of the first bet.
If no one calls the big blind, then the big blind wins the pot, consisting of the two blinds.
The Flop and the Second Betting Round
After the first round of betting, three community cards are dealt faceup. These three cards are called the “flop.”
Once they are spread faceup in the middle of the table, the second round of betting begins with the first active player to the left of the button.
The bet size is usually the same size as it had been on the flop betting round.
In Holdem, the flop defines your hand. During the first round of betting you have only two cards, and different two-card combinations have different potentials.
The combinations (A 
A 
), (A K ), and (T 6 ) all have some potential to develop into different poker hands (the potential T 6 is very weak).
Once you’ve seen the flop, you know something about whether any of the potential is likely to be realized.
The Turn and the Third Betting Round
The fourth card (or turn) is put faceup on the board after thee flop betting round is completed.
Then a new round of betting begins. In structured betting games, the bet size doubles on the turn betting round.
The River and the Last Betting Round
The river card id the last community card. After the card. After the card is dealt, there is a round of betting and a showdown.
Entering a Public Cardroom / The Play of the Game / The First Betting Round
