Post Flop Guidelines

You have great pocket cards and you open with a strong bet. Then you get no help from the flop. What should you do?

Stay in, continue betting strong, bluff your way through?

Fold, get out, cut your losses?

What are any other good things to think about in these scenarios?

Tony J.

'Depends', give us a specific situation and then maybe we can help you out.

Scenarios:

Pocket: JJ
Flop: 3, 6, Q

Pocket: AK
Flop: 4,7,T

Originally Posted by tonejac

Scenarios:

Pocket: JJ
Flop: 3, 6, Q

Pocket: AK
Flop: 4,7,T

Situation 1: If you've raised preflop and got 1-3 caller, bet out the flop 2/3 of the pot, usually you will get a raiser with a queen, where you can make easier laydown or everyone folding.

Situation 2: Again, bet the flop 2/3 of the pot if you have raised preflop (which you should have!), if you get a mere caller here and the turn doesn't help, I would consider check/folding. Also fold if the flop is raised.

Originally Posted by dwarfman

Originally Posted by tonejac

Scenarios:

Pocket: JJ
Flop: 3, 6, Q

Pocket: AK
Flop: 4,7,T

Situation 1: If you've raised preflop and got 1-3 caller, bet out the flop 2/3 of the pot, usually you will get a raiser with a queen, where you can make easier laydown or everyone folding.

Situation 2: Again, bet the flop 2/3 of the pot if you have raised preflop (which you should have!), if you get a mere caller here and the turn doesn't help, I would consider check/folding. Also fold if the flop is raised.

Or you can play like a maniac and confuse the hell out of them. Rep every hand. Do fake check raises. Start talking smack like, 'I've got you beat, so just fold', and then hope everyone folds.

With only a couple opponents, bet the hand exactly as you would if you had top pair or an overpair. If you're raised, fold, if you're called, stop betting unless you have additional outs, or unless you have reason to suspect your opponent doesn't have much of a hand. Against several opponents, just check-fold unless you make a hand.

Yea, trust me...its bad to continue bluffing too far - my biggest leak is strong pocket cards that get fuggled by the flop.

its funny to do this to others sometimes though when they raise preflop, give out a pathetic bet and you cold call. they check on the turn and you bet and win the pot. takes a read though.

Originally Posted by dsaxton

With only a couple opponents, bet the hand exactly as you would if you had top pair or an overpair. If you're raised, fold, if you're called, stop betting unless you have additional outs, or unless you have reason to suspect your opponent doesn't have much of a hand. Against several opponents, just check-fold unless you make a hand.

Actually, I think that should be qualified. *Only* continue betting if you think your opponent doesn't have much of a hand, and be reluctant to without outs.

Originally Posted by SmackinYaUp

Yea, trust me...its bad to continue bluffing too far - my biggest leak is strong pocket cards that get fuggled by the flop.

its funny to do this to others sometimes though when they raise preflop, give out a pathetic bet and you cold call. they check on the turn and you bet and win the pot. takes a read though.

I think that's generally a weak player's attempt at "finding out" if you have a hand or not when they missed the flop. Usually a smart player will make the answer yes. Sometimes, though, the bet can be fake weakness, but that seems rare.