The flow of an online poker game typically follows a structured process. Here’s a general overview of how an online poker game unfolds:

1. Registration and Buy-in:

   • Players register for the poker game, either through a tournament lobby or by joining a cash game table.
   • Tournaments usually have a fixed buy-in amount, while cash games allow players to join and leave with real money at any time.

2. Seat Assignment:

   • Once registered, players are assigned seats at the virtual poker table.

3. Blinds and Antes:

   • In most poker games, blinds (forced bets) are posted to start the betting.
   • Some games may also have antes (forced bets by all players) in addition to or instead of blinds.

4. Hole Cards:

   • Each player is dealt private cards (hole cards) that belong to them alone.
   • The number of hole cards and their distribution depends on the specific poker variant being played.

5. Betting Rounds:

   • The game proceeds with a series of betting rounds where players have options to check, bet, raise, or fold.
   • The specific rules of betting depend on the poker variant (e.g., Texas Hold’em, Omaha).

6. Community Cards (if applicable):

   • In some poker variants, community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table.
   • Players use a combination of their hole cards and the community cards to form the best hand.

7. Additional Betting Rounds:

   • More betting rounds may occur, interspersed with the dealing of community cards.

8. Showdown:

   • If there are remaining players after the final betting round, a showdown occurs.
   • Players reveal their hole cards, and the best hand is determined based on the poker hand rankings.

9. Winner Declaration:

   • The player with the best hand (or the last remaining player after others have folded) wins the pot.

10. Pot Collection:

    • The winning player(s) collect the chips or money in the pot.

11. Next Hand or Tournament Level:

    • The next hand begins in cash games, while tournaments progress to the next level or eliminate players.

This process repeats for each hand in cash games or as the tournament progresses through its levels until a winner is determined.

It’s essential to understand the specific rules of the poker variant being played, as different variants have distinct rules for betting, hand rankings, and community card usage.