Overcard Draws

Overcards are the weakest draw of all. Overcards are when you have a hand like KQ and the flop is J73. Of course, if a King or Queen falls, you have a top pair but free poker odds calculator the risk is that the card that makes you the top pair might make someone else two pair. In loose or aggressive poker games, you should generally avoid playing overcards past the flop -not always, but usually.

An exception would be in a tight aggressive game where your premium overcards might well be the best hand. Premium overcards are poker hands like AK or AQ when a flop contains a spade.

You should more likely call with overcards if:
1. Your cards are suited and the flop has one of your suit.
2. The pot is large.
3. The flop is a kind of garbage flop when many players like to bluff.
4. You are last to act and won't get raised.
5. No one has yet called.

Semi-bluffing Draws

Do you have an average hand that might be the best free card hand but probably isn't? If you have, then it is time to think about a semi-bluff.

A "semi-bluff" is not a bluff but it is close. A bluff is a bet that can't win if you are called. A semi-bluff is a bet that possibly isn't the best hand if you get called but your hand has some chance to improve to the best hand. Bluffs are particularly made when there are no more cards to come. Semi-bluffs are made on the intermediate betting rounds; they depend on the possibility that future cards will improve the hand if the semi-bluff gets called.

Considerations for Flop Play

Making the Pot Large

One benefit of playing strong hands aggressively and straight forwardly is that it tends to make the pot big. A big pot is an incentive to other players to keep calling your bets with weak poker hands, which is always favorable for you.

Drawing Odds

In many cases where you are probably beat and should generally fold, the size of the pot often determines otherwise. When the pot gets large, a lot of folding situations become calling situations. For example, when you have the second pair, someone else bets, and you are almost sure that the bettor has the top pair. We gave some example that is when you are holding AT and the flop is KT4.

It is likely you don't have the best hand and you are about a 9-1 underdog to improve.

We shall discuss about it. There are 47 cards you haven't seen (52 minus the two in your hand and the three cards on the board). Of those 47 cards, there are three Aces and two 10s that will improve your hand. That's five cards or five outs. So the next card can be one of five cards that help you or one of 42 cards that don't help you; 42-5 is the same as 8.4-1. Let us round it to 9-1 to consider those times when an Ace on the turn makes someone else a straight. In this situation, if the pot has nine or more bets already in it, and you know that no one will raise after you call, then you should call a bet on the flop. You are getting the right holdem pot odds for a call. This is also called getting the right price.

Danger Flops

There are some flops which are dangerous unless they hit your hand hard. That is because if they didn't hit your hand, then it is very likely that fit someone else's hand very well.

Flush on the Flop

When the flop has three cards all of one suit, then there is some chance that someone has a flush and very good chance that someone at least has a flush draw. So, if the flop is something like 984 then if you don't have A or K or a 9 in your hand, your hand possibly isn't worth playing. You possibly do not want to draw to a straight with this flop because the chances of making your straight and having it beaten by a flush are too great. With the A you will want to draw to the flush, but you might not even want to draw to the flush if all of you have is the K. With a hand like K9, you would possibly want to play. Top pair and King-high flush draws is a good hand with a flop like this.

Not always but usually if the flop has three of one suit, you should not play further unless you have the top pair or a draw to at least one of the top two possible flushes. There are exceptions but not many.

When the Flop Has a Straight

A flop with three cards to a straight will usually have more action. With the flop like T98, a lot of hands will play. Even if someone doesn't have a straight, it is very likely that players will have flopped combination draws like a pair, a gut-shot straight draw, and a three- flush. If you have got a hand like AA, you might very well have the best hand even though two or three other players are raising. The difficulty with such kind of flop is that you can never be sure. There is no hard and fast rule for how to play this flop.

If you have a good overpair, you should be calling to the river unless some real scary cards hit and you are sure you are beat. If you have got a hand like QT then you have probably got a pretty good hand, it might even be best and even if it is not best, you have draws. So be careful with this kind of flop with hands like 76 or 87. Making the bottom end of the straight may often cost you more chips with the second-best hand.

A Pair on the Flop

According flop strategy, when the flop has a pair on it, a full house is possible. If it is a loose or very loose game, three-of-a-kind is a true possibility. The time to be very careful with these kinds of flops is when it makes your two pair but your pair is lower than the pair on the board. For example, you hold A6 and the flop is 996 here you can definitely fall into trouble. If someone has a 9, then you have no way to win. If the ranks are reversed, you have A9 and the flop comes 669 then the situation would be different. Now if someone has a 6 you still have the chance of poker winning by catching one of the two 9s still out. It is a long shot chance but still a chance. It is enough of a chance that when you combine it with the chance that no one actually has a 6, it is possibly worth playing.

Straight draws and flush draws are generally not worth playing when the flop has a pair. This is true for straight draws because for you to have a straight draw must mean that the ranks on the flop are close together - which increases the chance that someone has flopped a full house. A flop of QQJ is more likely to make a full house then a flop like J44.
So just be careful when the flop has a pair.

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