To use all of the community cards in a flop game such as Holdem or Omaha to make the best five card hand. If no one has a better hand utilizing any of their hole cards then the pot will be split evenly between all the players in the hand.
To make your best hand using only community cards.
In hold'em, using all five community cards when your hole cards don't make a better hand. If you play the board, the best you can do is split the pot with all remaining players.
When you can't beat the holding on the board.
When the window is the nuts. For example the window makes AKQJT no flush thus anyone still in has the same hand as anyone else in regardless of your pocket cards. This will create a split pot. This will also happen if the window makes four of a kind with an ace or if there is a high full house such as QQQKK only a player with a king, queen or AA could win this hand outright. If not it is a split.
The best hand you can make doesn't use any of your pocket cards. . Example - you have 22, and the board is 4-4-9-9-A (no flush possible), then you must "play the board" If you play the board, the best you can do is to split the pot with all remaining players.
When the best five cards are the community cards on the board. An example of this is if one player is holding pocket threes and the other player is holding pocket fours and the board is A9988.
If in a game of hold'em poker you use all five community cards to create a sequence
To play the community cards rather than the hole cards held. A player will always have to split the pot in this way, if the community cards aren't beaten by any of the other players hole cards
A situation where your best five cards are the community cards. Note the best situation you can have here is a Split Pot.
Using all five community cards for your hand in holdem.
To show down a hand in hold'em when your cards don't make a hand any better than is shown on the board. For instance, if you have 22, and the board is 4-4-9-9-A (no flush possible), then you must "play the board": the best possible hand you can make doesn't use any of your cards. Note that if you play the board, the best you can do is split the pot with all remaining players.
Using all five community cards for your hand in Holdâ€(tm)em.
In flop games when your best five card hand is all five of the community cards (board cards). This happens if no active player can use one or both of their hole cards to form a better hand than the five board cards (community cards). In this situation, the pot is split among all active players.
You're playing the board in flop games if your best five card hand uses the five community cards.
When the player's best hand does not include the hole cards and is made up entirely from the board.
When the best hand is the five board cards.
Use all five community cards --and none of your own-- to make your hand.
In Hold'em, using all five face-up cards (board cards) in the center of the table to make your hand. You can never play the board in Omaha.
When the best hand a player can make is by using all five board cards.
In flop games like hold'em, if your best five card hand uses the five community cards, you're playing the board. The best you can do in this situation is split the pot with anyone who calls. Nevertheless, betting can be a good idea if you don't think anyone else can improve on the board either. For example, if the board is ThJhQdKdAd, someone would have to have two diamonds not to be playing the board.
In community card games, when a playerâ€(tm)s best hand does not use any of his own cards, he is said to be playing the board.
You are Playing the Board if your best five card hand uses the five community cards (in games like Texas Hold'em).