Everyone knows that poker
is a game that takes a minute to learn and a
life time to master. The main reason for
this is the fact that you start out with
only two cards, but then you have to
estimate their value combined with the flop,
turn and river, where the possibilities are
myriad and keep altering.
That's why playing
after the flop is the key to real poker
prowess and profit. So a successful player
has to be confident in his reads and know
when he is putting himself in too much
danger. These don't come easily, so a good
place to start is to get a feel for the
possibilities which any hand of poker holds
for you. After all, you need to be able to
see the whole of the map to understand where
you are on it. We will start with a simple
run through the rankings of poker hands, but
with some guidance on how strong you can
expect each hand to be in certain
situations.
Ace high
Not much of a hand,
and no hand at all in a multi-way pot.
Remember that it may still be a winning hand
at the river in a heads-up pot if there is
little action after the flop - and be
prepared to pick off a likely bluff. But
don't take much heat with this one.
Top pair
Depending on the
quality of the pair and kicker, as well as
the texture of the board, a top pair hand is
often a winner on the flop and often behind
by the river. Bet strong early on to find
out where you stand. But be prepared to to
release if your hand is weak and you get
played back at on a flop with few draws or
where many players are still in and the
betting heats up. If you have A-K on a flop,
such as A-10-2 off-suit, though, your hand
is very strong, so be prepared to go all-in
with it if the blinds are high in a
tournament. In a deep stacked cash game or
tournament, be cautious against experienced
players, as this is a classic way of losing
all your chips, usually to a set or two
pair.
Two pair
Flopping two pair when
you did not start with one in the hole makes
for a very strong and deceptive holding, but
can still be in danger by the river because
of straight, flush and better two-pair
possibilities. And if the board pairs with a
card you don't have, a low two pair can be
ruined. Try to balance getting the most for
the hand with turning up the heat before the
board gets too dangerous.
Trips
Flopping trips from a
pair in the hole is a deceptive, powerhouse
hand, and one that's rarely beaten on the
flop. But, as with two pair, you need to get
the most for it as quickly as possible as
straight and flush possibilities can still
ruin it. Trips over trips is rare, but is a
realistic worry in a very deep cash game.
Making trips from a pair on the board is
also a strong hand (though bear in mind your
kicker if the action gets too big), but is
harder to make much from as it's so obvious,
so you should just try to milk whatever you
can.
Straight
A well disguised
straight can be a goldmine( for example, you
have 9-7 and the board comes 8-J-6-5), but
it suffers from being vulnerable to flushes
and full houses. The best plan is to make
the most of it before the board pairs or
flushes, or be prepared to play it more
modestly and lose a little value. Obviously
straights - lets say you have A-10 and the
board comes 6-7-8-9 - are of little value
unless you are an aggressive bluffing player
who can make it look like you are just
trying to buy the pot.
Flush
A strong hand, but one
that lacks disguise unless the flush comes
backdoor. Lets say that you have
and the board comes
and
again benefits aggressive players who may
just be bluffing. Four flushes in the board
are likely to have hit someone, and are
similar to four straights, but the rank of
the suited card will determine who wins. If
you don't have the Ace, play it passively
and be prepared to check and call on the
river in situations where you have a good
chance of being ahead.
Full house
A virtually
impregnable hand, and ideal for slow play,
as higher hands are unlikely, and you need
to let more cards come for your opponents to
make a good second best hand. The only time
to be cautious is when the stacks are very
deep and bigger houses are possible : judge
it wrong and you may have an early night.
Quads
Virtually unbeatable.
Tales of quads losing to bigger quads or a
straight flush are as likely as an A-lister
doing a reality TV show! Sadly it is often
hard to get paid with quads, as you have the
board strangled. So give your opponents as
many opportunities as possible to make a
hand and try to milk them for whatever you
can get.
Straight flush
With this hand you
will be walking all the way to the
bank!!
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