poker school
lesson three: after the flop strategies in texas hold'em
Are you guys ready for our next lesson? Now that you know some of the strategies before the flop we are going to proceed with strategies once you see the flop.
The flop is the time where you know where your hand stands. Is your hand one that has a great chance of winning, will you fold or are you going to have to bluff your way to a victory. We are going to focus on two key areas in this class; when to bet on the flop and raising on the flop.
First off, we are going to take a look at a few strategies betting on the flop. Once you see the flop and you are not sure whether you should either check or bet, in most cases you should chose to bet. By betting, you will eliminate those players with weak hands who are trying to stay in the hand cheaply. This will take away the possibilities of you losing on the river to one of those players who should have folded. This also increases the pot size and it will increase your chip stack if you happen to win it. When the flop gives you a good hand your decision to bet is now going to depend on the strength of your hand, how many players are still remaining in the hand, the chances of getting an overcard on the turn or river and of course, what you feel your opponents are holding. Your decision on whether you bet or not should be based on these factors. You definitely need to bet your strong hands, but remember checking occasionally will alter your play and that will keep your opponents guessing as to what you may or may not have.
Here are some other strategies that you can use that will help you out at this stage of the game. If you have a four card flush or a four card straight draw after the flop you should call or bet the majority of the time. Conversely, if you don't make a drawing hand after the flop you should fold. If you are holding high pairs and the flop goes against them, and shows a possible flush or straight, fold, especially if there is heavy betting going on. Also, when you hit a flush or straight, have awareness of the possibility that other players could have the same hand but higher. If there continues to be heavy betting in the hand it is probable that someone else has hit the flush or straight as well. If two pair or three of a kind comes for you after the flop and the flop shows two suited cards, bet to knock a player off a flush draw. The same can be said for connector cards (possibly making a straight) as the goal is to keep players from seeing cards that may help them and not you.
The idea of a raise on the flop is to continually increase the size of the pot and make your opponents pay to draw you out. If you flop top pair with top kicker and think you have the best hand you should proceed to raise and or re-raise. You are the favorite to win the hand right now against any single straight or flush draw, and also against any other player with top pair and a weaker kicker. A benefit to playing your hand this way is that when there is a flush draw on the board your opponents will have a tough time determining if you have the top pair or the flush draw. With this doubt creeping into your opponents mind you will be called more often on the river when the flush card does not come (which leads to more money and an increased chip stack for you). Another great thing about using a raise or re-raise on the flop is that even though your main purpose in betting was to find out if you have the best hand, your aggressive betting often causes better hands to fold. Aggressive plays in Hold'em are often rewarded in ways you weren't expecting at the time. However, you should always play with a little bit of caution. If there is a lot of raising and re-raising on the flop, you can assume that someone hit a set or two pair on the flop, and already has you beat. You need to constantly be aware of the player in the blind position if they continue to raise and re-raise. That player could have anything in the pocket, got lucky on the flop and they continue to bet, to protect it.
If you get yourself into a situation where you're heavily involved in a hand before the flop, and the flop is marginal at best for you, you should proceed to raise your opponents as if you have hit the flop perfectly. Then watch to see how they react to your raises. If you get a strong impression that you're beaten, based on your opponents' reactions to your raises, then fold. But, if you're sure you still have the best hand, continue to bet or call. The principle of betting or raising on the flop, is when you have a top ten hand, you are trying to find out if your hand is the best.
Alright that's a wrap for lesson three. This is a critical stage in the game for you so hopefully this has given you some pointers that will help you improve on your strategies. In the next lesson we are going to discuss strategies concerning betting on the turn card. We'll see you all at the next session.
good luck and enjoy your experiences at the poker tables
