Post flop strategies
Once the first of the community cards are on the table, different strategies can be used at different times by poker players looking to capitalise on their hands. There are a few strategies that players wanting to up their post-flop game will need to familiarise themselves with, including:
• Continuation Bets – Sometimes referred to as a “second bullet”, a continuation bet is exactly what it sounds like and involves a player continuing to bet at the same strength as they did pre-flop. For example, pre-flop a player holding a strong pair may decide to raise based on the implied odds of their hand. When the flop is delivered and the initial outs do not appear, that player has three choices – to fold, to check or to raise. Folding loses the initial raise while there are still two more shots at hitting the outs. Checking is a sign of weakness that will signal a lack of confidence in the hand to other players, while raising with a continuation bet, or second bullet, could be the best shot at scaring off opponents in a similar position who do not wish to commit more to the pot.
• Slow Playing a Big Hand – If the flop delivers the cards that a player is looking for, the temptation will be there to bet big and buy the pot; however, by doing this a player may well be doing themselves a disservice as scaring other players into folding with multiple betting rounds ahead can seriously diminish the value of a hand. When a player is confident in their cards, an initial check or cautious raise can be a good approach to bring more into the pot before going in for the kill.
• Bluffing – While bluffing is an essential skill for the advanced poker player, it should be approached cautiously and used sparingly. Bluffing with too many hands still in play is usually a bad call, because the chances are at least one remaining player will have the cards and the confidence to call the bluff.
• Check-Raising Strong Hands – The check-raise is a great post flop strategy for position one players, but is unlikely to earn them many friends. Checking after the flop with a strong hand is a great way to draw opponents in and get them to commit their chips, and following this with a strong raise has a significant psychological effect as well.