Texas Holdem Poker Flop Strategy

Specific Flop Hand Play

This poker strategy article is the third in a four article series on playing the flop in Texas Holdem Poker.

In the second strategy article we were really concentrating on the flop. I want to discuss some specific hands on the flop. Yes, it's a lot of time that we are spending on the flop but remember, the mistakes you make on the flop usually means that it costs you even more money on the turn and river.

The specific hands that I want to discuss for this lesson are:

Three of a Kind
If the flop comes down 8-8-8 when you are holding an eight in one of your hole cards you are now holding a four of a kind. This is nearly unbeatable! If you are ever dealt a four of a kind on the flop I would slowplay it. This will give other a chance a to "catch up" and lead them to believe that they have the best hand. If this happens you will get some big bets out of them on the turn and river.

High Pair
If the flop comes down with a high pair (K-K-9 or J-J-7) you should consider this a dangerous flop. That is because many players will play their hand if they are holding a high card. To play this flop you should be holding a full house or three of a kind. If you find that someone bets and another player raises, there is a very good chance that you are beaten unless you have a full house or three of a kind.

Low Pair
If the flop comes down with a low pair such as J-4-4 is usually not as worrisome as a flop with a high pair. That is because most players will not play a hand with low cards. An exception to this is if an opponent was able to see the flop cheaply, usually from late position or the blinds. If the players in the blinds are playing this or there are many players in the pot you should proceed with caution.

Two Suited
One of the first things to do on the flop is to see if it is two suited. You can always play flush draws when there is no pair on the board. Ideally, you'd like a couple of your opponents to call the pot also. If you are in a heads up situation it is worth playing as long as the pot is not small and you are pretty certain that you are not up against a pair that is higher than your hole cards. If you aren't on a flush draw you need to worry about those that might be especially if there are many other players that are calling bets.

The final strategy article will finish our discussion on the types of hands you may see on the flop.

You are now well on your way to improving your game. You can practice and play Holdem for free or real money in any of our recommended online poker rooms.