Some starting hands lull us into a false sense of security.
Say we have A⊠Q⊠and the flop comes Q⣠Jâ 5â„ . That top pair is looking nice. But how good do we feel with one pair when our opponent check-raises us and fires big on a blank turn?
The ability to re-evaluate your hand strength post-flop is a must, particularly as you move up in stakes.
Thatâs one thing PokerStars School covers in this latest update.
THIS WEEK:
- How to re-evaluate your hand strength post-flop
- Betting smaller on monotone flops
- More from PokerStars School
How to re-evaluate your hand strength post-flop
âHand strength is not simply defined by your cards and the board, but also by the lines taken by yourself and your opponent,â writes Pete Clarke in his latest strategy article. âBeing ready to re-evaluate how good your hand is based on the Villainâs action is one of the core skills involved in high-level hand reading.â
This week, Clarke takes a look at a couple of examples where his students commonly overlook the changeability of their hand strength.
Find out how to re-evaluate your hand strength post-flop here.
Betting smaller on monotone flops
Pete Clarke was also busy busting poker myths this week.
âIf youâre thinking âwow this sounds really backwardsâ, well, get ready,â he writes.
âSome of the most mistreated flops in No Limit Holdâem are the ones where every card is the same suit. We call these monotone, or three-flush, meaning all the same colour (it makes more sense if you play with the 4-colour deck!).
âBeginners react quite emotionally to these extreme board textures. There are players who start making huge bets with top pair and overpairs, desperately trying to stop their opponent from drawing to that dreaded flush. Secondly, there are those players who just start checking and shutting down. While neither of these strategies is very well thought out, the first one is extremely bad in theory. Letâs see why.â
Check out âBetting smaller on monotone flopsâ here.
More from PokerStars School:
- 6 reasons to play Zoom over regular cash games
- 8 tips that might help you survive a bad run in poker
- 4 tips that might help with tournament survival when card-dead
- When should you play poker passively?
- When to ignore poker theory
- How to satellite into high stakes tournaments
- 4 tips that may help you be more proactive in poker tournaments
- How to exploit overly aggressive players
- Top 3 misused poker phrases
- How to rewire your brain for poker
- How to play low boards in 3-bet pots
- When to set the trap in cash games
- 10 poker strategy ideas all beginners should know
- When to pull the trigger on big bluffs
- Four Beginner Tournament Mistakes to Avoid
- 4 bad reasons for playing a poker session
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