Post-Flop Play in No Limit Hold'em

by Mike Greenberg

Texas Holdem can be a complicated game – or at least it should be. If this sounds like a reason not to play, think again. The reason that players flock to Texas Hold’em more than other poker variants is that the game is both more lucrative and more fun. The first reason is often the most important – after all, how much fun is it if you lose? Learning the intricacies of the game and winning go hand in hand.

Nowhere is this more apparent in how you play the flop. If you’re asking, "How do I play the flop in Hold’em?", you’re already showing that you’ve got a lot to learn. There are a lot of factors to consider when betting either pre- or post-flop in limit Texas Holdem. Let’s start with post-flop play. If you’re playing low-limit Texas Hold’em, your strategy is going to be different than if you play high-limit Hold’em. Keep in mind that pot-limit Hold’em can have some very large bets as well, depending on the table.

In low buy-in no-limit hold’em, you’re not going to want to bluff too often. Players will generally be less concerned about what you’re holding than what they’ve got in their own hands. They’ll be betting on the strength of their own hand after the flop, not on what they think other people are holding. By and large, lower buy-in no-limit holdem is a newbie’s game and flop play is less competitive.

What could be considered an alarming bet - whether you're bluffing or not - depends on how you've played hands in the past, as well as how other players have played their own hands. Whether the other players at the table take lots of risks or play close to the vest will determine how you play pre- and post-flop. I could make a blanket statement about what to do on the flop, but it wouldn't be very helpful. What's happening at your table will affect your strategy.

No-limit holdem is all about reading your opponents as well as knowing when to bet large or small. For instance, if you just sit around waiting for a great hand, your opponents will come to realize you're holding a strong hand, if out of the blue, you place a big bet post-flop. Then again, if they're not paying close attention, you may just be able to get away with it. How you play the game post-flop has a lot to do with the caliber and strategy of the competition, not just your own Texas Holdem strategy.