Community Cards
Face-up cards dealt to the center of the table that all players share to build their hands.
Definition
Community cards are the shared, face-up cards placed in the middle of the table that every remaining player may combine with their private hole cards to form a five-card hand. In Texas Hold'em there are five community cards, revealed in stages: three on the flop, one on the turn, and one on the river. Collectively they are called 'the board.' Because everyone sees and can use them, community cards create common reference points and let players reason about which hands opponents might hold. Community-card games (Hold'em, Omaha) contrast with stud games, where more cards are private.
Worked example
The board reads Q-J-10 of mixed suits; a player holding an ace and king in the hole now has a straight (A-K-Q-J-10) using both hole cards plus three community cards.
Why it matters
Learners need to grasp that shared cards let multiple players build strong hands from the same board, so a good board for you may be good for opponents too. Professionals read board texture (how connected or coordinated the cards are) to estimate ranges and choose bet sizes.