Post Flop Strategy – After the Flop
Ok. You’ve seen the flop. Now what?
For most of us the flop is the defining point of the hand. We’ve either hit it and we’re going to continue to play or we’ve missed it and we must quit at the sign of any aggression from other players
So what you’re looking for is a good reason to continue… right?
Lets assume for a moment that you hold 
. Which of the following three flops give you a reason to continue?
Hmmm…could be a trick question! The answer is ALL OF THEM. The problem is though that only one of them gives you some sort of ‘safe haven’ if you choose to bet and that’s a). With no card higher than 7 and no obvious straight or flush draw then a good strong bet here could probably clear the table. If you DO get a caller then it’s likely they’re holding a 7 and that’s nice. If there’s a raise though, to your bet, then BEWARE!
b) & c) give differing problems. Example b) looks good but if another club comes down you could be in bother as that gives flush opportunities. If an 8 comes down, making your set, then that gives MAJOR straight possibilities and look out for the 8c which gives all sorts of hands that can beat up you and your set of 8’s.
Example c) looks good also. You’ve made a set and, at this time, are undoubtedly winning. The problem is, though, that there are still 2 more cards to come which again could lead to flushes, if not already out there, straights, and bigger full houses (if someone holds A-K then they aren’t going anywhere)
You can perhaps now see the pitfalls that can arrive with mid-pair holdings!
Reasons NOT to continue
As we’ve already stated, what you are looking for on the flop is a good reason to continue. Now let’s look at what isn’t a good reason to continue.
Let’s assume you hold…
and the flop is
If you see ANY ACTION at all then fold. Don’t even think about calling. Your pair of Tens may well be the best hand, most likely not though and the odds of improving are too remote to warrant any further chips of yours entering the pot. Sure another TEN might fall on the turn…sure an EIGHT might fall but it just isn’t worth it! What if the EIGHT was the 8d. Ruh Roh!!
A slightly worse situation which happens very frequently is this… You start out with:
and raise pre-flop. You get one caller. The flop is…
Depending whether you are first or 2nd to act here determines how many chips you’re likely to lose. If you’re first to act then a bet is a necessity as you’ll need to know if your opponent holds an Ace. (A call or a re-raise will tell you) If you’re 2nd to act and your opponent bets big then at least you’ve saved some money right? Believe me…your opponent is betting for the same reasons as you would. They need to know whether or not you hold an Ace. You could always re-raise here but if your opponent DOES hold an Ace then your goose is cooked.
Of course a KING might come to save you but with odds of 12/1 (with 2 cards to come) and only even money available as far as the betting is concerned (your chips + opponent chips) this is not a proposition you should ever take.
The problem is you waited SO LONG for those kings. It isn’t fair! Well maybe not, but throw them away and sit out the next few hands if throwing them away bothered you.
Reasons To Continue
First the obvious cases. If you are playing an Ace with a high kicker then you most want to see your kicker on the flop and next the ace itself. In either of these situations you usually want to make it very painful for people to draw since there is a very good chance you have the best hand right now. This is often a good chance to use our friend the check-raise if you are in early position. If you are in later position definitely go for a raise and possibly a re-raise (with AK or AKs) and then bet out the turn if it is checked to you.
If you flop second or third pair with an over card to the flop (especially an ace) you can continue if the betting is not heavy.
If you flop a four flush or an open-ended straight you can continue if the pot odds justify it, especially if you are drawing to the nuts.
Glossary
Check-raise – in early position you allow yourself to ‘check’. A player in later position, bets. You now RAISE the original bettor. A strong tactic to use if you have a very strong hand and you’re sure someone in a later position will bet.
Bet out the turn – By betting good hands strongly you lesson the chances of someone calling you with the odds against them.
Need To Know Block:
- Only continue to play, after the flop, if you’ve GOOD reason to believe you can win. (Sets, Flush draws, Straight draws, Two pair, Top pair – big kicker etc)
Next week’s article is on Post Flop Strategy – The Turn Card
