Thursday, 28th March 2024 14:04
Home / News / How to re-evaluate your hand strength post-flop

Some starting hands lull us into a false sense of security.

Say we have A♩ Q♩ and the flop comes Q♣ J♠ 5♄ . 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.

That’s 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

“Hand strength is not simply defined by your cards and the board, but also by the lines taken by yourself and your opponent,” writes Pete Clarke in his latest strategy article. “Being ready to re-evaluate how good your hand is based on the Villain’s action is one of the core skills involved in high-level hand reading.”

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.

“If you’re thinking ‘wow this sounds really backwards’, well, get ready,” he writes.

“Some of the most mistreated flops in No Limit Hold’em 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!).

“Beginners 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. Let’s see why.”

Check out ‘Betting smaller on monotone flops’ here.


More from PokerStars School:


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