Part I: Games & Gaming · Card Games — Poker & Variants

Hole Cards

Poker

The private cards dealt face-down to each player, which only that player may view. In Texas Hold’em, each player receives two hole cards; in Omaha, four hole cards; in Seven Card Stud, three hole cards (two down, one up) plus four upcards. Hole cards are the secret component of a player’s hand, combined with community cards to form the best five-card hand.

In practice

Also called “pocket cards” in some contexts. Players must protect their hole cards at all times. If hole cards are accidentally exposed by the dealer, specific house procedures govern whether the card is kept or replaced.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.