Postflop play
Fixed Limit Holdem Post-Flop Play
Your play after the flop in fixed limit Holdem will depend on a number of factors. These include how well your hand connected with the flop, the number of players in the pot, whether you took the lead in the betting before the flop and your position at the table relative to opponents.
The first question to ask is: ‘Did this flop help my hand, and might it have helped my opponent(s)?' For example if you raised from middle position with 8-8 and the flop comes A-K-6 the answer is usually clear – against multiple opponents your hand is not the best and unlikely to improve. However if you raise A-Q from early to mid position and the flop comes 3-4-9 then even though you go no help from the flop it is unlikely to have helped your opponents either – a bet now may well win the pot.
Table position relative to the other players in the hand can be a big advantage, if you limped the button and the 2 opponents in the hand check to you then a timely raise can often take the pot uncontested. If an opponent ahead of you bets then you can decide what to do based on your hands chances of being the best based on the tendencies of your opponent.
Sometimes you will flop a hand that is probably the best at the moment but is vulnerable to being outdrawn. An example would be A-8 on a flop of 8-7-6 with 2 cards of a suit. Here your pair of 8's has a good chance of being the best hand – however against multiple opponents in a limped pot there is a good chance that someone has a draw to a straight or a flush here.
In these circumstances you should aim to make it as expensive as possible for your opponents to draw against you – and if possible to cut down the field to one opponent. How you do this will depend on your position relative to the player most likely to raise after the flop. If you act after this player then re-raise to isolate, making it 2 bets to the rest of the field. If you act before this player then raise and hope that your opponent re-raises, causing several opponents to fold.
If you have a drawing hand yourself you have 2 options. You can either raise yourself as a semi-bluff or you can take a free card to try and make your hand. Raising with a draw from last position has the advantage that your opponents will usually check to you after the flop, allowing you to take a ‘free card' when the bets are doubled after the turn. For example you have J-10 of hearts on the button and limp behind 2 limpers before the flop. The flop comes 9-Q-3 giving you a straight draw, with 1 heart also giving you a backdoor flush possibility. The first limper bets and the second calls – here you should raise. If you do not hit your straight on the turn then your opponents are likely to check to you, allowing you to check behind for a free river card. Well in low limits where you are going to play in the beginning there will be a lot of situations where u will have a monster draw and there will be a lot of players in the pot. So with a monster draw like flush and straight draw at the same time you should raise your opponents on the flop and if they call you should once again bet the turn for value since you are getting called by lots of players and you want as much money to go in the pot where you are a good favorite to make your hand on the river.
Slow-playing involves checking a strong hand to appear weak in order to win more bets on later betting rounds from opponents who think they have the best hand. This is a dangerous play in fixed limit Holdem and should be used very sparingly. For example you have A-A and raise before the flop, getting 3 callers. The flop comes 5-6-Q and you slow-play by checking. Here you are giving a free card to an opponent with a hand such as 7-8 or J-Q – several cards could fall on the turn which will cause you to loose a big pot. Slow-playing should only be attempted in fixed limit Holdem when you flop a real monster such as a full house or maybe the highest possible flush.
If you want to play fixed limit Holdem you can do it for free with our free poker cash offers.
|
