Poker for Dummies (Mini Edition) (18 page)

Dangerous flops

Kicker trouble:
Even if you flop top pair, your hand is only as strong as your kicker. It’s a lot nicer to make top pair with an Ace kicker than a weaker one.

Suited board:
Flops where all the cards are of the same suit or are sequenced, like 10-9-8, are dangerous. Someone may already have made a straight or a flush, and even if you’ve been lucky enough to flop a set, you’re heading uphill and may have to see the board pair — giving you a full house — in order to win. With top pair, or even two pair, discretion is usually the better part of valor with suited or sequenced flops.

Overcards

An
overcard
is a card higher than the highest card on the board. Should you play overcards or not? Many of your opponents will routinely call with overcards. Suppose you call before the flop with K-J, you’re up against three opponents, and the flop is 8-6-3 of mixed suits.

What should you do if someone bets? Do you call, hoping the next card off the deck is a King or Jack — one of the six remaining cards in the deck that presumably gives you a winning hand? Or are you better off folding and waiting for a flop that fits your hand?

Making a good decision involves knowing your opponents and the hands they’re likely to play. Then examine the flop. Is it the kind of flop that will tend to hit one or more players? Or is it so ragged that it’s unlikely any of your opponents are holding cards that the flop would have paired? You should also be aware of how many opponents you’re facing. The more opponents, the more likely the flop will hit at least one of them.

If you’re unsure what to do, err on the side of caution until you gain enough playing experience to feel comfortable in these situations.

Flopping a draw

When you flop a four-flush or a four-straight, you’ll have to decide whether to continue with your draw.

You’ll need enough opponents so that the size of the pot offsets the mathematical odds against completing your hand. How many opponents do you need? If you’re facing three or more, it’s typically worthwhile to draw. If you’re holding two large cards, like A-Q, you’re probably favored against any lone opponent regardless of whether you make your hand. You might also win by pairing either of your cards on the turn or river. Sometimes just two big cards will be sufficient to win in a showdown.

Multiway possibilities

You’ll occasionally flop hands that offer a plethora of possibilities. Assume you hold 8
7
, and the flop is 7
6
5
. You’ve flopped top pair, as well as a straight draw, and you have backdoor flush potential (see the “Starting Hands” section for more about backdoor draws).

When you flop a hand with more than one way to win, your hand is stronger than any of its individual components. Your pair may win by itself. Your hand could improve to trips or two pair. You might make a straight on the turn or river, or make a flush if the next two cards are both hearts.

Here’s another example: You hold A
J
and the flop is A
9
4
. Chances are, you hold the best hand and are favored to win even if your hand does not improve. You may also get lucky and turn your good hand into a great one. A Jack gives you two pair, an Ace gives you three Aces, and any club makes the nut flush.