Betting Rounds:Before The Flop : Flop : Flop Hands : Turn : River

As much as you might like them, there are no hard or fast rules for when it comes to playing hands on the flop like there are when you are playing preflop.

However, you can use this (super) guide to help you classify the strength of your hand on the flop and form the appropriate plan of action to help you make all the right moves at the table.

Playing a weak hand on the flop.

If your hand matches the following criteria...

• No pair.
• No draw.

Then your plan of action is going to be pretty straightforward...

• Do not bet or raise.
• Do not call bets or raises.
• Forget about trying to make any fancy plays.
• Fold unless you manage to see the turn card for free.

AA is not only the best hand over a large enough sample size it will be by far your most profitable hand. If you miss the flop they can be difficult to play especially multi way, but they will win a lot of showdowns unimproved. When you the hit the board and make flushes, straights, and sets they will always be the nuts level 2. This one is a poker classic. The strongest starting hand in poker, pocket aces are a strong pre-flop favourite over any other two cards and a 4:1 favourite over almost any hand. You will be dealt. But most holdem hands involve just one or two opponents, and pocket aces will always have another hand crushed before the flop: A A vs. K K = A A wins 80 percent. The chart is good if you where at a table with real poker players, but online poker you get people that goes all in on a 7-2 and hands similar to that, so playing poker online you just start out slow and get to know your opponents and how they play before you make any drastic plays.

If you have a weak hand with no potential, there is no reason for you to continue with the hand. You may well be tempted to try and throw a bluff out there and hope for the best, but I can guarantee that this is going to be a losing play in the long run. You may get lucky once or twice, but you will be leaking money away by trying to fight with cards that are going to be as effective as spoons in battle.

You can't win every hand in poker, and if you try to do so you will be losing money. Letting hands go and saving your money is key to adding that little extra to your overall winnings at the end of the day.

It can be really tedious when you had a great hand before the flop like AK or AQ, but you should realise that the hand is going no where and prepare to throw it away when the flop doesn't fall your way, and the “outside of the box” factors (see playing the flop) aren't looking good. Save that money for when you hit a better hand on another flop.

Playing a mediocre hand on the flop.

Mediocre hands are always the hardest to play. They're even worse than useless hands, because at least with awful hands you know where you stand and what to do with them. But with a half decent hand that is right in the middle of everything, you can feel pretty lost and confused. A few examples of mediocre hands are:

Low end.

• Middle pair.
• Low flush draw.
• Low straight draw.
• Top pair, weak kicker. e.g. A4.

High end.

• Top pair, good kicker. e.g. AK.
• Strong flush draw.
• Strong straight draw.
• Bottom two pair.
• Low three of a kind.

Low-end mediocre hand strategy.

With a low end mediocre hand, you will really need to err on the side of caution and play the hand as you would if it were a weak hand (as if you haven't hit anything). It's nice that you managed to get some piece of the flop, but it doesn't tie you to the hand. If you are able to see a free turn card then fantastic, but other than that, be happy to fold the hand to any action.

High-end mediocre hand strategy.

If you have a high end mediocre hand, you will need to really start considering “outside” factors in the hand, such as; your table position, how the flop might have helped your opponent and the stack sizes. This is because the actual strength of your hand is going to do very little to help you make the best decision, so you will need to rely on other important factors to determine whether it is best to play on with the hand. Also, don't forget about pot odds when you have a flush or straight draw.

If your position is good and you feel that you have a good opportunity to win money from the hand, then by all means play on. However, if it all seems pretty hazy and your position isn't great, then folding may well be the most sensible play. Practice makes perfect when it comes to deciding whether or not a hand is going to be profitable; it's not something that can be easily taught in one article!

Mediocre hands don't win big pots, so don't get too involved if there is a lot of action and the pot is getting bloated.

Playing a strong hand on the flop.

• Top two pair.
• A set. (3 of a kind whilst holding a pocket pair).
• High 3 of a kind
• Straight
• Flush
• Full House

...and so on.

Hitting a big hand on the flop in Hold'em is always going to be great fun (especially on the flop), and you probably think that you don't need any advice on how to play a big hand. However, whilst it going to be difficult to end up losing money, it is good to know how to make the most of the situation to try and extract as much money from your opponent as possible.

Best Poker Hands To Play Before The Flop

A fundamental rule to remember is that you do not build a big pot by checking and calling. The best way to build a pot is to bet and raise to help your opponents place as much money in the pot as possible. This means that more often than not, slowplaying and trying to be tricky with your betting just prevents you from creating a sizeable pot for you to win.

Don't fear the possibility that your opponent will fold if you bet. It's better to win big pots occasionally than tiny ones more often.

It is tempting to slowplay because of the fear of chasing your opponents out of the hand, but the majority of the time you have to remember that if your opponents are not prepared to put money in the middle on the flop, it is unlikely that they will do so on future betting rounds. You don't want to go over the top with your betting, but simply play strong poker and put money in the middle with well-sized bets.

The only time you should think about slowing down is when it is clear that you have the deck crippled, and it is impossible for any of the other players at the table to have a hand that is worth playing with.

Playing flop hands overview.

Not much of an overview here, this article is long enough. Just remember that practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to learn when you are playing poker, it's all part of the game. Refer to the flop strategy article for more help on playing the flop in Texas Hold'em.

Playing a hand.

Go back to the sublime Texas Hold'em guide.

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The Strongest Poker Hands – Before and After the Flop

Before the flop is dealt, the strongest hands are easy to spot. Aces, Kings and Queens top the list – with Ace-King not far behind.

The relative strength of poker hands in Texas Hold’em changes as the community cards are dealt. While all sorts of starting hands can hit the flop, there are certain categories which are more likely to turn into hidden monsters.

This page covers the top 10 poker hands, before the flop – and then all the way to the river. This includes:

• Starting Hands: Top 10 hands that every play would love to be dealt before the flop
• Flop Betting: How the first 3 community cards have a huge effect on the ‘relative’ strength of the bet pre-flop hands.
• Turn and River: Draws can complete, or high cards can hit as the community card board is completed.
• Top Hands and Position: Why being dealt a top 10 poker hand alone is not enough to win big.
• How to Tell: If you can spot those times an opponent has a monster hand, you’ll be in a great position top get away from 2^nd best holdings.

Best Poker Hands To Play Before The Flop

Starting Hands: The Top 10 Hands Before the Flop

Pocket Aces rule the rankings before the flop. If you are dealt this hand, you’ll win 80% of the time against any single hand your opponent could hold by the river.

Here are the top 10 hands pre-flop in Texas Hold’em:

1. Pocket Aces: There is no better feeling in Hold’em than looking down at a pair of aces. Especially if there has been a raise ahead of you.
2. Pocket Kings: With aces so rare, it is usual to assume that your pocket kings are the best hand pre-flop. You can always reassess if you face multiple re-raises. With no aces on the flop, you can hope to win a big pot with this hand.
3. Pocket Queens: There is a risk that opponents have aces, kings or ace-king when you are dealt Queens. With no ‘card removal’ for those hands as when you are dealt A-A or K-K. Pocket Queens is still a very strong hand and should be played for a raise.
4. Ace-King: This hand is even stronger when suited, though plenty strong enough with just the high card value. If you make a pair on the flop, you will have the top kicker to go with your top-pair.
5. Pocket Jacks: As you get down the rankings, even strong starting hands start to become vulnerable to over-cards on the flop. Jacks are often good enough to win unimproved, though you need to be cautious when an ace hits the board.
6. Ace-Queen: Again, a suited version is much stronger than an unsuited one – as you’ll be able to make the nut flush on occasion. This hand becomes stronger if your opponents are prone to overplaying aces with weaker kickers.
7. Pocket 10’s: This is the last pocket pair which is more likely than not to be an over-pair on the flop. It has hidden value, blocking straights and allowing you to hit a set (as with all smaller pairs) on boards which look ‘safe’ for the higher pairs.
8. King Queen Suited: This hand has a lot of potential multi-way. Heads up against one of the premium hands, it does not do as well. If you find yourself with king-queen suited in position in a multi-way pot, you can often make a hidden monster and win a big pot.
9. Ace-Jack / Ace-Ten: These hands are vulnerable, though suited versions can make the nut flush, if you don’t make 2 pairs, there is always a chance of a Broadway straight.
10. Mid-Pairs: Finally, mid-pairs can make sets – giving them a lot of deceptive strength. When someone has aces, and bets strongly, you can often win their whole stack with a hidden pair or 7’s (for example).

Relative Strength of Poker Hands on Different Flops

Key to success in poker is not to get married to the top 10 starting hands after the flop. There are several factors to consider. While you can often assume that your premium starting hand is still best (and bet it accordingly), a clear assessment of the risks is always useful.

When you see a flop, think about the following:

• How many opponents saw this flop (what is the risk that some random hand connected!)?
• Does this flop have the potential to hit many drawing hands (straights and flushes)?
• Is this the type of flop that will not connect with hands my (tight) opponents are likely to play (low, unconnected flops fit this category)?
• Are there cards on the board which are higher than my pocket pair?

These questions highlight an error that many new players make with premium hands. If you limp or call, instead of raising with those aces – you can end up in a tricky spot. You could see a wet flop (lots of potential draws available) with multiple opponents who might have random holdings. If you have to act first in the betting, the situation looks even trickier. Here your hand is too strong to give up on, though if you get a lot of action on subsequent betting rounds, you could be in trouble!

Playing good hands strongly, and raising a few outside the top 5 for balance, is a great way to avoid too many tough spots on the flop.

Turn and River Cards: How Likely my Opponent Hit?

When the turn or river card completes a flush (for example) and your opponent comes out firing with a big bet, you need to ask yourself how often you are beaten.

The wrong question to ask here is ‘how often do players make flushes by the river?’. You have some additional information. If your opponent called a bet on the flop, or even raised, then they are likely to have some kind of hand. If they continued all the way, only to re-raise you at the end when their card hit – you might just be in trouble.

Getting ‘married’ to over-pairs can be expensive in these situations. What is demonstrates is that even the top 10 starting hands can be losers in certain run-outs. You’ll need to use your judgement to decide whether your opponent might be bluffing in the scenario above. This can be based on the player, their bet sizing in the hand and your history with that opponent. In my experience, players at the smallest stakes are not bluffing frequently enough in this type of spot to make this a profitable call.

Playing the Top 10 Poker Starting Hands in Position

With the dynamics or poker hand strength changing as the community cards come out, playing in position is a great way to optimise your profits. This simply refers to acting last in the betting on the flop, turn and river betting rounds. The player with the ‘Dealer’ button position acts last – though keep in mind that acting last relative to the raiser pre-flop is a different factor.

When you are last to act, you can get away from hands when there is a raise and a re-raise ahead of you. It is always an option to bet out and steal a pot you might otherwise have given up on when everyone checks to you as well.

Position strategy goes a lot deeper than this. When you are starting out, keep in mind that acting last + having a top 10 poker hand is the best spot to be in!

How to Tell If Your Top Hand is Beaten?

As you gain experience playing on different board-textures, and against different types of opponents – spotting those times when your pocket aces are second best becomes a lot easier.

While some opponents keep betting at any pot where they have a piece of the board (or a draw in some cases), other opponents are more cautious. If someone who usually limps and calls suddenly wakes up with big bets, this is a great sign that you could be beaten. I have seen opponents play passively for hours, and suddenly check-raise when they made the top flush. If you pay those types off, it is down to you not paying attention – rather than bad luck.