Keep the Lead in Your Hand

In order to win in any form of poker you must be capable of making bets when you have absolutely nothing. Many times I see players that take the lead in a pot when they are heads up simply check after the flop hits the board with low cards after making a pre-flop raise . This is the wrong way to approach the game.

The fact of the matter is that you will miss the flop around sixty-seven percent of the time. That means your opponent(s) will miss the flop just as much as you will. By not staying in the lead with a continuation bet you are giving your opponent the green light to take the hand away from you on the turn. If you make a bet on the flop no matter what hits the board it does a couple of things for you. First, it allows you to take down the hand immediately. Second, it allows you to find out where you are at in the hand should you get a call or re-raise. The result is that you get information that you can use should you continue to play the hand against your opponent.

  This tactic is particularly important in a game like Hold’em as it is a high card game. So the next time you are in the lead before the flop make sure to keep the lead in the hand and bet out. You will find yourself taking down more pots than you expected.