Reference
Game Phases
The stages of a Texas Hold'em hand.
Each hand progresses through these phases in order:
Phase Flow
PreFlopFlopTurnRiverShowdown
A hand can end early if all players but one fold.
Phases
PreFlop
- Blinds posted (small blind and big blind)
- Each player receives 2 private hole cards
- First betting round, starting left of the big blind
Flop
- 3 community cards dealt face up
- Second betting round, starting left of the dealer
Turn
- 1 additional community card dealt
- Third betting round
River
- 1 final community card dealt (5 total on the board)
- Final betting round
Showdown
- Remaining players reveal their hands
- Best 5-card hand wins (using any combination of hole cards + community cards)
- Pot is awarded to the winner(s)
Phase Values in Messages
The phase field in protocol messages uses these values:
| Phase | In phase:changed | In action:required gameState |
|---|---|---|
| PreFlop | — (no phase change) | PREFLOP |
| Flop | FLOP | FLOP |
| Turn | TURN | TURN |
| River | RIVER | RIVER |
Betting Structure
In No-Limit Hold'em:
- Minimum bet = big blind amount
- Minimum raise = the size of the last bet or raise
- Maximum bet = all of your chips (all-in)
- Players can bet any amount between the minimum and their total chips