Reading The Flop In Texas Holdem
by scott on May.01, 2009, under Texas holdem
A critical skill in Texas hold’em is learning how to read the flop. What does reading the flop mean? It means looking at a flop and understanding how it fits into your hand, how likely it hit your opponents, and what sensible ways are to proceed. This is actually a big part of a successful poker strategy.
Reading The Texture of the Flop
The texture of the flop means what the flop looks like as far as how likely certain hands are. For example, if you two red aces, a flop of all spades is not a good texture for you, while three unsuited, unconnected low cards will be a good texture for you.
Using the Texture of the Flop
Analyzing the flop can give you a good idea how to proceed in a hand. For example, if an opponent raised in middle position, you called with 66, and the flop came 8 8 3, and your opponent bet out, you have a good opportunity. This board has a texture that is unlikely to have hit a pre-flop raiser, and it is likely that he is simply continuation betting. This means you may have the best hand already, and even if you don’t, a bet may scare the pre-flop raiser off his hand. On the other hand, if the flop came A K 9 and your opponent bets, you will almost always fold, since this texture fits in very well with a pre-flop raiser’s range.
Notes About Reading the Flop
Don’t let the flop blind you to what can be possible later. For example, suppose you hold 99 and the flop comes 8s 9c Th. You bet, praying that a 6, 7, J or Q do not appear, since any of these would make a straight exceedingly likely. The safe 2s comes off on the turn, and you bet and are called again. The As hits on the river, and you bet. Your opponent raises you all-in. You call, since no straight is possible unless your opponent flopped it, and their AK is going to lose to your set of nines. You are dismayed when they turn over Ks Js for the nut flush. Because you were so intently looking for the straight, you completely missed the backdoor flush that came on the river. Don’t let this happen to you.
