Playing on the Flop

The flop is the most important part of the hand. This is where you'll find out whether your hand has a shot at winning or not. Many poker novices lose money by playing after the flop with hands that have little or no chance of winning. Regardless of what your starting hand is, the flop will either give you the best hand (or close to it), a good chance at a winning hand, or nothing at all. Even with a strong starting hand, if the flop doesn't hit you at least once and the board offers the possibility of a better hand for someone else, you should consider folding. Even with tight starting hand selection, more often than not, the flop will be unfavorable to you.

The chart below illustrates the possibilities where you can continue playing on the flop. The information on this chart was derived from Lee Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold'em. If you're new to Hold'em, this book is strongly recommended. Jones gives you a compete strategy for low-limit hold'em, and explains the finer points of playing these hands, as well as more advanced strategies such as the free card play and the check-raise. You can use the chart below as a cheat sheet or a supplement to the book when you're playing online.

Note that these are guidelines for playing these hands. The circumstances at your particular table and one's personal experience may suggest a different strategy. Many of the circumstances listed below assume that you have the correct pot odds to call. (If this is all new to you, read the page on pot odds first. Also read the poker glossary for clarification of unfamiliar poker terms)

If you've flopped…	Possible actions
Overcards	Check and fold. Call if you have a backdoor draw and high pot odds.
Top Pair with High Kicker	Bet and raise. If re-raised, raise again if you think you have the best hand, otherwise call.
Top Pair with Poor Kicker	Fold if there's much action. If you're first or last to act, bet or raise if you think everyone else will fold.
Middle or Bottom Pair	Check and fold. Call if you have an overcard and/or a backdoor draw with high pot odds.
Two Pair	Bet and raise. If re-raised, raise again if you have top two pair. Otherwise, call.
Pair on the Board	Fold if your pair is lower, or there's much action. In late position, bet when it's checked to you if you think everyone will fold.
Three of a Kind (Set)	Raise and re-raise, unless you are certain (or uncertain) that you have the best hand.
Three of a Kind (Pair on Board)	Bet and raise. Call if someone else re-raises, unless you have a high kicker.
Inside Straight Draw	Bet or call if you have favorable pot odds, or two overcards and/or multiple draws. Fold if the board is paired, or if there are three suited cards on the board.
Open-ended Straight Draw	Bet or raise if you have the nut draw. Call if the board is paired, or if there are two suited cards on the board. Fold if there are three suited cards on the board.
Flush Draw	Bet or raise if you have an ace high draw, otherwise call.
Straight	Raise and re-raise. Slow play if an ace high straight.
Flush	Raise and re-raise. Slow play if an ace high flush.
Full House	Slow play if your set is the higher rank. Bet and raise if your set is the lower rank, or you don't have the pocket pair.
Four of a Kind or Straight Flush	Slow play if you have the nuts, otherwise bet and raise.

If you play your hand appropriately on the flop, you still have to watch the turn and river cards to see if one of your opponents have possibly improved. If you believe you still have the best hand, or your hand has improved, continue to bet and raise with it. Otherwise, just check or call. If you're playing a pair or two pair, and an overcard to your pair comes on the turn and there is a raise, it's possible you may be beaten. If you're playing a straight draw, and the third card to a flush falls on the turn, folding is a wise idea. If the board pairs on the turn or river, proceed with caution. One of your opponents may have landed trips or a full house. For more on playing the turn and the river, read Winning Low Limit Hold'em.