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Introduction

In this article

• How to determine the strength of a draw
• When to play aggressively and when to play passively
• Why a semi-bluff must generate fold equity
  
• How to adjust your game based on the number of opponents in the hand
  

The flop is, without question, a decisive moment in a poker hand. You need to estimate your hand's strength as accurately as possible in order to make the correct decisions on the later streets.

You can either have a made hand, a draw, or absolutely nothing once the flop has been revealed. We won't bother discussing trash hands, since there isn't much to say other than, "fold."

You don't want to just fold when you have a made hand or a draw. But you can't know how to play such a hand if you don't know exactly how strong it is and where you stand with it.

This article will deal with post-flop play when you have a drawing hand. Be sure to also read the article: How do You Play Made Hands on the Flop?

The strength of a drawing hand depends on the number of discounted/modified outs you have. You must discount your outs appropriately in order to be able to choose the right line on (and after) the flop.

If you aren't sure what is meant by 'odds and outs', or if you need to freshen up before continuing with this article, you can take a look at the article on the Mathematics of Poker

The following factors play a key role in determining the strength of your hand:

• The board texture
• The number of opponents you are facing and their playing style
• Your position
• Your opponents' actions

What exactly do these factors mean?

The cards on the board tell you a lot about the strength of a draw. What other draws/made hands have outs against you (for example, a better straight draw, or a set that could turn into a full house)? Would any of your outs give your opponent an even better hand?

Assume you have an OESD, but an opponent could also have a flush draw. You may not be able to count on two of your outs for the straight, since they would complete your opponent's flush as well.

You have to discount your OESD outs heavily when the board is single suited. Too much action from your opponents may even be a sign that you are already drawing dead against a completed flush.

This is a situation in which reverse implied odds come into play. Reverse implied odds are reduced pot odds that include future losses that could occur if an opponent has or gets the upper hand. Your reverse implied odds are higher when your opponent has a strong draw or good chances of improving his hand by the river, since you are then less likely to have the best hand at the showdown, even if you complete your draw.

The number of opponents you are facing, as well as their playing style (tight, loose, aggressive, passive) also determine how you can continue playing your hand. You can play more aggressively against a tight opponent, since he will be more likely to fold his hand than a calling station. You will also have a hard time making your opponents fold when there are three or more of them in the hand.

Your post-flop actions (and options) depend on your position relative to your opponents. For example, you can raise for a free card (bet flop, check behind turn) when you are in position, but will have a hard time doing so when out of position, since your opponent will always get to have the last say.

Your opponents' actions give you information on the strength of their hands. They also tell you how many of your outs are clean and whether or not you can give yourself implied odds. You have higher implied odds against a set than against top pair when you have a flush draw, for example, even though the danger of your opponent redrawing for a full house is higher.

The main questions you should ask yourself - even when you aren't on a draw - are:

• What do I have?
• Which cards are on the board?
• Who are my opponents?
• What position am I in?
• What have my opponents done so far?

When should you play aggressively/passively?

You can play a draw either one of two ways:

• Aggressively - You want to make your opponents fold and get as much into the pot as you can (you have decent pot equity) when you have a strong draw.
• Passively - You wait for your draw to complete before showing any aggression.

Choosing the correct way to play your draw depends on a number of factors, including those we just discussed in the previous section. You will usually end up playing a mix of passive and aggressive play.

You should play your draw aggressively when you can generate fold equity against a better hand and when you have high pot equity (a strong draw).

Always pay attention to the bet size : pot size ratio. A semi-bluff (a bet made with a draw) needs to work more often, meaning your opponents fold to your bet, when the pot is smaller in order to be profitable.

You can learn more about the mathematical formulas behind fold equity and semi-bluffs in the article on Semi-bluffs.

You should play your draw passively when ...

• you can't bluff your opponent
• you can't generate much fold equity with aggression
• you can expect higher implied odds by playing passively
• your pot equity is low and you want to stay in the hand as cheaply as possible.

Before we dive into post-flop play, we will take a quick look at the factors that influence the amount of fold equity you can generate.

Your fold equity decreases when ...

• more players are in the hand
• a maniac with a high WTS is in the hand
• a calling station with a high WTS is in the hand
• a rock is playing aggressively
• one or more players have indicated strong hands (pocket pair, AK) by capping before the flop
• one or more players plays the flop aggressively (for example, bet/3-bet), which indicates either a strong draw or a set/two pair

Your fold equity increases when ...

• you are only facing one or two opponents
• both opponents only limped/completed
• you raised before the flop and have initiative
• the board is scary (high cards, possible draws)
• you are facing an opponent with a low WTS
• an opponent in late position, who has a number of weaker hands in his raise range (blind battle), shows aggression

How do you play heads up?

Always ask yourself the following two questions when you are heads up:

• Do I have showdown value?
• Can I make my opponent fold a better hand?

You can play a draw aggressively when ...

• ... you have so many outs that you don't need to generate any fold equity.
• ... the board is scary and your opponent is not likely to have hit.

These are both usually the case, which means you can often semi-bluff even when you don't have very many outs and when the board isn't particularly scary.

Example: Flush draw You have a flush draw and a scare card shows up on the board. A good spot for aggressive play.

Examples: OESD You hit an OESD, a strong draw. You have high equity and play aggressively

Examples: Gutshot vs. steal attempt You are in a steal situation. The board is dry and your opponent has a loose range.

It's much more difficult playing a draw passively when you are heads up, since you will almost never get correct pot odds to call. An exception can be made when you have some showdown value, for example with a made hand + draw.

You will also rarely be able to generate sufficient fold equity in such a situation, since your opponent will often have a strong hand or very high WTS.

Examples: OESD You hit an OESD with KQs, then an aggressive player donks. You don't follow your standard play, since you have a good read on your opponent.

How should you play against several opponents?

Here are examples of when and why you can play a draw aggressively:

• You can force one player out of the hand and isolate the pre-flop aggressor. This, however, will only be profitable when the aggressor is likely to only have overcards and can be brought to fold after the flop.
• You have high equity and can raise for value. This requires a lot of outs and can usually only be made on the flop.
• You have more than just a draw (for example middle pair + flush draw). You could already be ahead and can raise for protection.

Here are examples of when and why you can play a draw passively:

• You can get more value when you complete your draw (usually because there will either be more opponents in the hand to pay you off, or because you think your opponent(s) will be less likely to put you on a draw if you play passively, which increases your implied odds).
• Raising would only result in isolating yourself against a stronger hand (like a high pocket pair).
  

  Examples: OESD Here is a situation, in which you should not raise on the flop.

How should you play against 3+ opponents?

You can often play for value on the flop in multiway hands. A player with the nut flush draw has 35% pot equity and should try to keep as many players in the hand as possible.

In order to find the right line, you need to take a look at the pre-flop action. You can, for example, trap players between you and the pre-flop aggressor to get more money into the pot.

You have little or no showdown value in a multiway pot. You can't generate much fold equity, either. If you don't improve on the turn, you should either check/call or, depending on your position, bet/3-bet or check/raise for value.

Weak draws, like gutshots, should normally be played passively. You can rarely raise for value and can't expect to generate fold equity with a bet/raise. On the other hand, you will usually have the right pot odds to call.

Examples: A strong draw against heavy action You hit a draw, but your opponents are starting up the action. How should you react?

Conclusion

A number of factors such as the number and type of opponent(s) in the hand, the board texture and your position determine how you can play a draw. You should be able to estimate both your fold equity and pot equity fairly accurately in order to find the right line for the situation at hand.

LINKS
Related Articles: The Flop - The Second Betting Round Standard Lines for Use Against a Single Opponent The Flop-Textures How do You Play Made Hands on the Flop? Discussion Forum: Discuss this article in the Forum Videos: Seminar Video on the Mathematics of Poker Odds and outs