PLAYING PAST THE FLOP

Waiting for the flop is like in Texas Hold ’Em is like opening a mystery box or waiting for to see what’s behind the curtain. You are certain it’s coming. You just don’t know what it will be.

If you have decided to play your two hole cards and see what the flop has to offer, this is when your strategy can change 180 degrees.

How you play after the flop is determined by several factors, including whether you raised, re-raised or checked before the flop, how many opponents remain in the hand, and whether the game is tight or loose. But the biggest factor, of course, is what cards are revealed on the flop.

Top pair: If you’ve flopped a pair, and are holding a high kicker, you’re in great shape. Chances are that you have the best hand on the board if there’s no other pair. And if the three flopped cards are unsuited, the decreased flush potential makes your pair look ever better. Another scenario is that you stayed to see the flop with a 10-9 diamond connector and got top pair when an unsuited 10-7-2 was flopped. This is a hand you bet in a tight game, but check in a loose one, where everyone sticks around to see the flop, making the chances that an ace, king or jack is lurking out there.

Drawing hand: With a drawing hand, you flop nothing … but potential. A four-flush – four suited cards after the flop – or a high open-end straight draw put the pot odds with two or more players in your favor. For example, if you played that 10-9 diamond connector and the flop was K (diamond)-6 (diamond)-2 (spade), you have the four-flush. You have a one in four shot of hitting the flush on the turn, and one out of five on the river. Betting options can go in many directions. A large field and you may want to limit your bets to get in as cheaply as possible if you don’t draw the winning hand. Against a small field, if you draw the nut flush – the best flush available within each hand – go heavy or go home when it comes to bets and raising.

Major hand: It’s rare, but dream flops do happen. If you flop two pair, trips, straights, flushes, full house or even higher, you will likely win the hand. But you still have to know how to play it in order to gain the maximum amount of profit. Analyze what it would take for the other players to beat you on the turn or river. If you’re in a loose game, bet heavy. If it’s tight, bet conservative and string some of the other players along.

Swing and a miss: If you flop nothing, don’t just assume you’re out of the running. Your next action depends on what the other players did before the flop, and whether they’re looking to fold or bet. For example, if you paid to see the flop with an A-9 suited, and the result was J-6-3 offsuit, you’re not done yet. Your ace-high might be the best hand on the table.

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