Texas Holdem,
No Limit Poker
August 19 2008
Late position play after a flop is usually one of the easier decisions to make in a No Limit Holdem game. You’ve either hit a hand, a draw to a hand or you've missed it altogether. You need to play each situation properly to protect a lead, so make sure you get good drawing odds or get out of the way.
- If you are confident that you have the lead in the hand, you need to bet to protect your lead. If the board cards have possible flush or straight draws you need to bet over half the size of the pot to force drawing hands into making a bad call to see another card. If you have a monster lead that’s not vulnerable, you should slow-play your hand and let your opponent catch up a bit before making a bet.
- If you have a drawing hand you want to keep the betting low. If it’s your turn and no one has bet yet, you can check to see the free card. It’s often not a bad idea to put in a small bet because you’ll still be getting proper draw odds, and you might pick up the pot right there with your semi-bluff. Just make the bet less than half the pot if you bet out. If anyone calls your bet you’ll usually be able to see the river card for free because you’re the one displaying the aggression, and they will check the action to you.
- If you didn’t hit the flop, but no one has bet, you can take a stab at the pot if you think the opponents in the hand can be pushed off. If you’re facing a bet ahead of you, and you don’t have a good draw, you should muck your cards and wait for another hand.
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