Mixing up your play on the flop

In this continuing series on small ball poker, we’ll now look at a quick guideline on how to effectively mix up your style of play on the flop. These tips are designed to help you decide when to bet and when to check after those first three cards hit the board.

When to Bet

You can bet on the flop even if you missed it completely but only if you have position and think your opponent missed it, too. But be wary of flops that contain two or more cards above an eight. Flops like J-9-7, A-Q-9 and J-10-4 hit a lot of hands that many opponents will call with.

Go ahead and bet the flop with good hands that need protection. If the flop comes J-8-4 and you have K-J, bet the flop a high percentage of the time.

Bet monster drawing hands. Your goal is to either steal the pot on the flop or build a bigger pot for when you get lucky and hit your hand.

Finally, make a bet when you’re able to pick up a tell. Anytime you pick up a tell and feel as though your opponent is likely to fold, throw out a bet – even if you have a marginal hand. For example, if the flop comes J-6-4 and you have 4-5, bet the flop if it looks like your opponent is legitimately uninterested in playing his hand.

When to Check

Check instead of betting when you have a drawing hand and are trying to catch your needed card cheaply. If you bet the flop, your opponent may raise you, thus forcing you to lay down a drawing hand that potentially can win a big pot.

Also, often check on flops that pose little danger of outdrawing your hand. If you have pocket aces and the flop comes 2-2-9, you don’t have to be overly concerned about giving away one free card. If your opponent has a hand like K-Q, you’re likely to win more money if he catches a pair on the turn. The risk of checking in this situation is minimal.

Check if you have a marginal hand on a dangerous board. In these situations, it’s often better to check the flop and see what develops on the turn before committing any more chips to the pot. You can even do this with strong hands.

For example, if you have pocket nines on a flop of 9h-10h-Js, checking is a reasonable play. If the turn card is a seven, eight, queen, king, or heart, you’ll limit a loss that was probably inevitable.

Also, check whenever you suspect an opponent has caught something big on the flop. When you’re able to pick up a tell on your opponent that suggests he’s hit a big piece of the flop (and that missed you completely), checking is definitely the correct play.

In these situations, pay close attention to your opponent’s behavior. If you do, you’ll save some bets that you might otherwise have made automatically and incorrectly.

Finally, here’s a quick tip regarding what I like to call hit or miss flops – flops such as K-K-4, A-6-6, Q-Q-2 and 2-2-3 are hit or miss flops.

If you started with the best hand, it will likely remain the best hand after flops like these. That’s because your opponents will either hit these flops big or they’ll miss them completely.

Alternatively, if you’re playing a marginal hand on a hit or miss flop, proceed with caution. You’ll be able to minimize your losses without taking a major risk of losing the entire pot.

XVisit shop.cardsharkmedia.com for more information about Daniel Negreanu’s newest book, Power Hold’em Strategy, from Cardoza Publishing.

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