Online Betting Strategy (cont.)

Betting after the flop. The Flush Monster

A staple of our strategy is the suited ace. In a table (of whatever limit) where five or more people pay to see the flop (and often stay to see the turn and river as well!) the value of the suited ace goes up. Way up. In fact, your overall expectation with a suited ace may be greater than when you have pocket aces because you will almost always play the hand all the way through with aces but you can easily dump a suited ace on the flop if it is not favorable.

Poker Game Betting – Why Flushes Are Better Than Straights

A flush draw, especially (especially!) an ace high flush draw is superior to a straight draw for two main reasons. First there is one more out for a flush draw (9 completing flush cards for a four-flush vs. 8 completing straight cards for an open ended straight).

Second, and more importantly, a completed straight draw can be destroyed on the turn or river by "counterfeiting" Counterfeiting is when one of the cards in your hand which completes the straight comes on the board.

Poker Game Betting – Why Straights Are Better Than Flushes

Since we just said flushes are better than straights this may come as a bit of a surprise to you. Well, nut flushes are better than straights any day. You should feel much more comfortable drawing for a third spade on the board when you hold a suited ace (of spades) than you should for any kind of straight draw by itself.

As we pointed out before, nut straights can be compromised with more cards to come, but nut flushes cannot.

On the other hand you can flop (or draw to) the nut straight with any connector (two consecutive cards like 6 and 7) or even any one or two gap combination (like 6 and 8 or 6 and 9).

Another aspect of straights is that they can be difficult to see on the board and you will get much more action on a board of 8 5 7 rainbow than you will on a board that contains three cards of the same suit.

For these reasons you should always play a straight fast when you get it.

Poker Game Betting – A Good Reason To Continue

First the obvious cases. If you are playing an Ace with a high kicker then you most want to see your kicker on the flop and next the ace itself. In either of these situations you usually want to make it very painful for people to draw since there is a very good chance you have the best hand right now. This is often a good chance to use our friend the check-raise if you are in early position. If you are in later position definitely go for a raise and possibly a re-raise (with AK or AKs) and then bet out the turn if it is checked to you.

If you flop second or third pair with an overcard to the flop (especially an ace) you can continue if the betting is not heavy.

If you flop a four flush or an open-ended straight you can continue if the pot odds justify it, especially if you are drawing to the nuts.

If you flop a gutshot straight and the pot odds justify it and you are drawing to the nuts then continue