Texas Hold'em Online Poker Tournament Tips: ANALYZING THE FLOP

ANALYZING THE FLOP

Being able to analyze the flop is crucial in Texas Hold’em when playing poker online. When you see the flop you have to ask yourself the following questions:

Did the flop help me?

Did the flop help my opponent?

What is the flop showing?

Being able to analyze the flop is a skill that will develop over time. At first, you will spend a few seconds asking yourself these questions. Later, you will know the answers to these questions almost as soon as the flop hits. Lets look at an example:

In this situation we will assume that it is early in a Texas Hold'em online poker tournament, and all stacks are fairly even, blinds are still low.

Your holding: As Qc

Flop: Ad 9d 4c

-This is a good flop for you, but you also have to take notice that there is a flush draw on the board. If there are 3-4 players who saw the flop, the changes are one of them might have a nice diamond flush draw. If you are first to act, keep this in mind and bet accordingly. You don’t want your opponent to get a good price to draw at his flush.

(Odds are about 4:1 against him making his flush). You want to bet out enough so your opponent is not getting a 4:1 better price to draw at his flush. If the action is checked to you, then you need to bet out at least ½ the pot, if not a little more. Betting ½ the pot will give your opponent a 3:1 price on a 4:1 draw, which would mean that it would be incorrect of him to draw at his flush. Be aware though that in low stakes tourneys players will spend their whole stack drawing to their potential winning hand. Keep this in mind when you are playing, watch the table and try to identify these players. Of course, always keep in mind there are exceptions to this strategy, for instance if you are short stacked and need to make a move very soon.

A few more quick examples:

Example A:
Your holding: 6c 6d

Flop: Qd 6s 2h

-Great flop for you, try to extract the most chips out of your opponent(s) as possible.

Example B:
Your holding: Js Jc

Flop: As Qh 8d

-You had a great hand preflop, and hopefully you raised, but there are 2 overcards to your Jacks. Remember, a great hand preflop in Texas Hold'em Poker is not always going to be a great hand postflop. If 1 or 2 players called your raise, it is very likely that one of them has hit the flop, and your JJ could very likely be 3^rd pair.

Example C:
Your holding: As Ks

Flop: 7s Td 2h

-An ok flop for you if you raised preflop. Unless your opponent was holding a high pocket pair or a 10 you are probably ahead here. Bet at this flop if you are first to act, if your bet gets raised you can always rethink your options.

Practice Analyzing the Flop in Texas Hold'em Poker by going to your favorite Online Poker site and observing a table. You don't even have to be playing. Watch the flop, try to determine what the flop is showing each time. Think to yourself: What is the hand that is most likely being held by the better, and what hand is most likely being held by the caller(s). Don't forget to always notice how many players are playing before and after the flop, who raised preflop, and the style of the players you are observing.

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