Beating Hold 'Em: Continued Play...

The Flop

The flop is the biggest part of Texas Hold 'Em, not only do you get to see what possibilities your cards can make, but 71% of the cards are showing. So, with that being said, it is quite clear this is where the biggest moves should be made. The generic rule is that if you have the top pair showing, you want to bet so that the other players must bet to see the next card (Fourth Street).

EX. you hold AK (suited), K95 flops, you hold the highest pair, therefore you want to bet so that a person holding a 9 must bet to see if they can get a three of a kind.

You have to be careful because players may hold a pocket pair of either 99's or 55's in that instance, so use your judgement by how much they raise, and what type of player they are (see player types).

Fourth Street

Now, one more card still has to show, but at this point you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not the other players have strong hands by how much they bet on the flop. Once again depending on the card flipped, you may still want to bet with high pair.

EX. you hold AK(suited), K956 turns, you still hold the highest pair, therefore you may want to bet, be very careful because if any player holds a 78 they have a straight, read them, and there previous bets (Rule of thumb to remember is that players with monster hands generally slow play).

The River

This is the final card, all final bets will be made. No more cards are going to be shown. This is where players will continue their bluff, or try to scam you for all of your money. Be aware that the odds of having a pair are 1:2.4, so IT IS very common to have a single pair.

EX. you hold AK(suited), K9562 turns, if you have a flush bet big, don't be afraid of the other players folding, the worst thing to do is to think they are going to raise you, and you let them off the hook. If you don't have the flush then bet small, and or check, once again if raised by any other players evaluate their playing style to determine if a call is proper.

*For more examples, and what to do, see (situations) on the sidebar*