Tag Archives: top pair
Flop Play for Online Poker Sites
Flop play is very important in No Limit Texas Hold’em. The key is to find the relative strength of your hand. Over time, it is important to develop the ability to release good hands when you think they are second best. Determine your relative strength and release hands that face a real risk of being second-best. Betting is the natural move when you want to protect a good hand from being outdrawn or when you are presented with the chance to make your opponents fold. The flop is the time to “pump it or dump it”. It is extremely important that you always evaluate the relative strength of your hand on the flop when playing at online poker sites.
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Typical Flop Situations& 8232;
Here are four typical situations on the flop at online poker sites:
Very Strong Hand (top two-pair, set)& 8232;& 8232;
Often slow-play if the board is uncoordinated so you lure opponents in, induce bluffs or let them make second-best hands.& 8232;& 8232;
If the board is coordinated and several are in, over-bet the pot so they have to pay for trying to outdraw you. The bigger the bet they call, the bigger their mistake. This is how you make money in poker: let other players pay for chasing you. & 8232;Strong Hand (over-pair, top-pair with A kicker, etc.)& 8232;& 8232;
Bet about the size of the pot in order to protect it (for example, pushing out over cards and making draws pay).& 8232;& 8232;
You may have to release this hand when facing an over-bet or raise because someone may well have a bigger over pair, a set, or connectors that hit the flop for a two-pair. You should not back any top-pair with your whole stack! & 8232;& 8232;
If you bet and get called in several spots you have to decide whether your hand is the best because it is unlikely that all of the other players are drawing. & 8232;Medium Hand (top-pair with a weak kicker, middle-pair with A kicker, second pocket- pair, etc.)& 8232;& 8232;
Most of the time, avoid betting this hand when in early position, facing several opponents, or against tricky players who slow-play frequently. Try to get a free card to hit one of your pocket cards on the turn or call/raise an opponent who bets from last position.& 8232;& 8232;
If you are in late position and it is checked to you, bet.& 8232;& 8232;
If you are facing a bet or raise, fold. You have no initiative and are probably chasing few outs.& 8232;
Are you ready to tackle some online poker sites? Head over to www.sportsbook.com/poker and get into the action today!
Play your opponent accordingly
The next time you sit down at a poker table, you need to remember that every player sitting around that table has different tendencies. For instance, Paul might call your all-in when he’s holding top pair, but Mary wouldn’t dare think of doing so. Given the differences in player habits, it’s imperative that you approach each player accordingly.
Here’s the tricky part: You don’t know what player tendencies are when you’re sitting down to play. Fortunately, there is a way to solve this problem, but it requires a great deal of patience.
When you first sit down at a poker table, you need to play tight for at least the first hour. By doing so, you will be watching how the other players approach the game and picking up reads. For example, you might find out that Paul likes to raise to $15 pre-flop in a $1/$2 No Limit Game when he’s holding A/10-suited or better. You might also find out that John will always limp-in with a medium pair, attempting to stealthily hit his set and win a big pot. And you might learn that James subconsciously taps his fingers on the table when he’s on a draw.
Now imagine getting involved with these players when first sitting down, and without having all that information. You would be at a distinct disadvantage. Once you sit back and pick up all this information, it’s time to go into attack mode, but don’t get carried away. Patience and well-timed aggression are the keys to success.
Since you know that Paul will call your all-in when holding top pair, if you sense he has top pair on the flop and you’re on a flush draw, then you’re at a mathematical disadvantage. Therefore, you don’t want to push all-in. Your best approach will be to bet half the pot, which can mean anything and keep Paul guessing. If he comes back at you, then you will have a difficult decision to make, but a lot will depend on how much money is already in the pot, and if you have him covered in regard to chip counts.
Let’s say it’s the same situation, but you’re up against Mary instead of Paul. In this case, you want to push all-in when you sense she has top pair and you’re on a flush draw. You want to do this because you know she will fold, and you will not have to worry about hitting your flush. Instead of gambling and hoping to hit the flush to win a big pot, you will win a small pot without any risk.
As you can see, the game of poker isn’t black and white. You can’t automatically decide to call, fold, raise, or push all-in based on the cards. Instead, you need to play the game by prying open your opponent’s mind and figuring out what he or she likes and doesn’t like to do. This will give you a significant advantage and should lead to increased profits.