Exclusive Netbettor Texas Hold'em Article:

In our last article we looked at some common pre flop situations that you'll find in these games, and discussed how one should deal with them. Here we'll take a closer look at the play on the flop, and examine some plays that should increase your hourly earn.

First, however, there is one major concept that all six max players must understand about play on the flop, and that is this: That in multi-way pots (i.e., pots being contested by three or more players) your play shouldn't deviate much from how you would play in a full ring game. The reason why these games are good, and why they will probably stay good, is that too many players think they need to ‘make plays' in order to win money in these games. This usually involves check raising with nine-high type hands, three betting bottom pair, etc. etc. While it is true that in heads up and three handed games you'll have to make more plays at the pot, this is not true in a full six max game where three or four players routinely see the flop. In a game like this your flop play should be, in most instances, the same as your play in a full game, since most of your profit is still going to come from simply showing your opponent the best hand.

However, you do need to make adjustments for your play in heads up pots. Why? Because the average six max player, for whatever reason, gets far more frisky in heads up pots then a player of like skill does in a full game. When the pot is heads up in a six max holdem game you'll see more marginal betting and raising then you would in a full game. Thus, you need to make a few key adjustments. We'll look at more of these adjustments later, but for now we'll look at one of the biggies—and that's playing a flush (or open ended straight) draw in a heads up pot.

•  Flopping a flush draw out of position
One play that I have enjoyed considerable success with involves either lead betting or check raising with a flush draw on the turn. Example: You're in the big blind with J 9, and call a raise from the button. The flop brings the T 6 4. The default play here for most players is to bet out on a semi bluff, then bet the turn (whether you made your hand or not) and maybe or maybe not fire a third barrel on the river (depending on just how tenacious your opponent tends to be). This isn't a horrible way to play the hand, but working in the check raise on the turn has, I've found, led to better results. In both cases you're investing 2 ½ big bets from flop to river, but in the first example it's simply too easy for your opponent to put you on a flush draw and call you down with A high, or pocket 3's, or whatever other marginal hand he may have. By check raising the turn you're representing a huge hand, and even your fishiest opponents will be hard pressed to call. Further, if they do call you can usually be relatively sure that they have something which they're determined to show down on the river, which means you don't have to bet the river unless you improve.

But what if your opponent bets the flop and checks the turn? Even this isn't a disaster, since you're now getting to the river for 1 small bet. I'll usually bet the river as a bluff if it's checked through on the turn, although I may think twice if the river is an ace or a king. In either case the important thing to remember here is that many players (rightfully) assume that flop aggression represents either a big hand OR a big draw, while turn aggression is usually seen as only representing the former.

•  Flopping a flush draw when you have position
I generally advocate playing a flush draw when you have position on your opponent in a six max game exactly the same as you would in a full game. For example, let's say that you raise on the button with that same J 9, get called by the big blind, and see a flop of T 6 5. Now the big blind bets out. In this case I would not call a flop bet with the intention of raising the turn. The difference between these two hands can be highlighted as follows;

In the first hand the check raise on the turn works so often because they pre-flop raiser is probably betting ‘light' on the flop and the turn. After all, he's the pre-flop raiser, he has position, the flop is raggedy and the pot is heads-up. He's almost supposed to bet the flop and turn, whether he has a hand or not. The fact that he's so frequently running a bluff here is why this play is profitable.

In the second hand there is no reason to think the big blind is running a bluff. Now he may be, but realize that he's not ‘suppposed' to bet here. Frequently a bet here by the big blind means something like second pair (he would frequently check raise with top pair), and by betting he's essentially announcing that he's not going to lay down his hand at any point in the hand not matter how much pressure you exert. He's already prepared himself for an onslaught of tricky raises, and he will not be deterred from getting to the showdown.

Because of this I'll frequently just raise the flop for a free card, and then check behind on the turn. I may bet the turn against an astute opponent if an ace drops off, but otherwise I'm usually done with the hand if I don't improve. I've wasted scores of chips trying to get people off middle pair in these spots, and it just doesn't work. When a player bets into a pre flop raiser in these games he's usually showdown committed. Adjust accordingly.

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Other Poker Strategy Articles:
Beating the Six Max Games Part I
Large and Multiway Pots
Player Profiling