Things to consider
There are three things besides your own hand you need to consider when evaluating the flop:
1. What better hands others might have.
2. What good draws others might have.
3. What hands others might have that put them drawing dead.
In the first flop discussed earlier, 10 9
8
, there are a lot of hands that have you beaten.
Even if that flop doesn’t give anyone a pair, a flush, or a straight, it almost certainly gives them a draw to one of those hands.
However, a K
7
not only gives you the probable best hand, it is also unlikely that anyone will improve to beat you.
This is an example of a flop that might have another player drawing dead.
If another player with an Ace makes two pair, he still loses to your higher two pair.
It does give someone a draw to a Diamond flush, but you are a 2-1 favorite against anyone with that draw.
This flop, to A K
, could generate a large pot, which you will win over 60 percent of the time.
OUTS AND ODDS
With the flops we just reviewed, our evaluation was a little vague in some cases.
Such a vague assessment is a good idea, just to get a sense of the situation.
However, often you’ll want to be more formal in the evaluation, considering an explicit count of outs and pot odds.
Pick the Right Table / Picking a Seat / Theories of Poker / Betting Theory: The Odds
A Theory of Starting Hand Value
A Theory of Flop Play: Counting Outs and Evaluating Draws
The Dynamics of Game Conditions / Table Image / Player Stereotypes
Women and Poker / Spread-Limit Games / Double Bet on the End Games / Kill Games
Short-handed Games / Tournaments / No-limit and Pot-Limit Poker