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Introduction

• why you should never play a made hand passively after the flop
  
• when you can make a continuation bet
  
• why you should never bluff against more than two opponents
  

Any time you have a strong hand and the opponents in front of you have not indicated strong(er) hands of their own, you raise before the flop. Depending on your position and the number of opponents in the hand, however, you can also raise with a weaker hand. Stealing the blinds, for example, means that a player bets into the blinds, not because he has a great hand, but in order to force them to fold so he can collect their blinds.

This article will focus on post-flop play when you have initiative. Remember, even if you raise first, a raise behind you creates a different situation, which you can read about in the other "After the Flop" articles.

Before the flop - NL25 Blinds: $0.10/$0.25

You are in MP2

UTG1, UTG2, UTG3 and MP1 fold You raise to $1 MP3 and CO fold BU calls $1 SB folds BB calls $0.75

Flop - Active Players (3): You, BB, BU - Pot: $3.10

Before the flop - NL25 Blinds: $0.10/$0.25

You are on the CO

UTG1, UTG2, UTG3, MP1, MP2 and MP3 fold You raise to $1 BU and SB fold BB calls $0.75

Flop - Active Players (2): You, BB - Pot: $2.10

Being the aggressor before the flop puts you in a unique situation. You will play differently than in rounds in which either an opponent, or no one at all, raised before the flop.

In the following sections you will learn ...

• ... how to evaluate the strength of your hand.
• ... what a continuation bet is and when it is sensible to make one.
• ... how the community cards and your opponents' play influence your play.
• ... how to play on the flop, turn and river.

Keep in mind that we can't possibly cover this complex subject in a single article. It is critical for you to find as much learning material as you can - as an aggressive player you will most often be the aggressor going into the flop. Making the right decisions after the flop as the aggressor is the key to your success.

PokerStrategy offers diverse learning materials; you can watch videos, visit coachings, post in the forum, etc. Take advantage of these offers and continue to develop yourself as a poker player. It's a long road to the higher limits.