‘Hole cards’ are ones that are dealt face down to a player and then kept secret. In the Hold’em format of poker, two hole cards are dealt, whilst in Omaha, four are dealt.
What are hole cards in poker?
In poker, “hole cards” are the private cards that are dealt face down to each player at the beginning of a hand. These cards are also sometimes referred to as “pocket cards.” In most popular variants of poker, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, players are dealt two hole cards.
During the course of the hand, players use their hole cards in combination with the community cards (cards dealt face up on the “board”) to make the best possible five-card hand. The combination of hole cards and community cards determines a player’s hand strength and their ability to win the pot.
It’s important to note that a player’s hole cards are private and should not be revealed to other players until the showdown, which occurs at the end of the hand when remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner. Players use their skills and strategies to assess the strength of their hole cards and make betting decisions based on this information, as well as the community cards that are revealed during the course of the hand.