DANGER FLOPS
Some flops are very dangerous flops unless they hit your hand hard.
That’s because if they didn’t hit your hand, then it’s very likely they 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 9 
8 4 , then if you don’t have A or K or a 9 in your hand, your hand probably isn’t worth playing.
You probably do not want to draw to straight with this flop, because the chances of making your straight and having it beaten by a flush are just 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 you have is the K .
With a hand like K 9 
, you probably will want to play.
Top pair and the King-high flush draw is a pretty good hand with a flop like this.
Not always, but generally, 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 very many.
When the Flop Has a Straight
A flop with three cards to a straight will often generate a lot of action.
With a flop like 10 
9 8 , a lot of hands will play.
Even if someone doesn’t have a straight, it’s very likely that players will have flopped combination draws like a pair, a gutshot straight draw, and a three-flush.
If you’ve got a hand like A 
A , you might very well have the best hand even though two or three other players are raising.
The problem with this kind of flop is that you can never be sure.
I can’t really give you a rule for how to play this flop.
If you’ve got a good overpair, you should probably be calling to the river unless some real scary cards hit and you’re sure that you’re beat.
If you’ve got a hand like Q 10 then you’ve got a pretty good hand, it might even be best, and even if it’s not best, you have draws.
Be careful with this kind of flop with hands like 7 6 or 8 7 .
Making the bottom end of that straight can often cost you a lot of chips with the second-best hand.
A Pair on the Flop
When the flop has a pair on it, a full house is possible. If it’s a loose or very loose game, three-of-a-kind is a real 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, if the flop is 9 9 6 and you have A 6 , you could easily be in trouble.
If someone has a 9, then you have almost no way to win.
If the ranks are reversed and the flop is 6 6 9 and you have A 9 , then the situation is different.
Now, if someone has a 6, you still have some chance of winning by catching one of the two 9s still out.
It’s a long-shot chance, but still chance.
It’s enough of a chance that when you combine it with the chance that no one actually has a 6, it’s probably worth playing.
Straight draws and flush draws are usually are usually not worth playing when the flop has a pair.
This is especially 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 chances that someone has flopped a full house.
A flop of Q Q J is much more likely to make someone a full house then a flop like J 4 4 .
Be careful when the flop has a pair.
Entering a Public Cardroom / The Play of the Game / The First Betting Round
