Poker

Raising Hard on the Flop

So many hands end pre-flop, but that just makes your betting pattern after the flop that much more important. Many poker players focus an unbalanced amount of their attention on their pre-flop strategy and then wing it post-flop. Coasting through the post-flop betting rounds is a good way to set yourself up for a bad beat, among other things. There are many advantages to taking the reins after the flop, and raising hard is the best way to do just that. In this article, we explore the logic behind raising hard on the flop in poker.

Why Raise Hard

Some poker players are surprisingly aggressive pre-flop and then instantly shift to a tighter position after the flop. This type of betting style is a mistake, not only because it gives players the impression that you've had a bad draw, but because it allows your opponents to control the action.

For example, a soft bet after the flop when you've got a hand worth protecting allows other opponents to limp through the turn and river and potentially suck you out. Raising hard also raises the pot odds, shaking off not only calling stations but tight players with good but not great hands. In other words, raising hard is a good way to narrow the playing field while collecting important information about the strength of your opponents' hands.

When to Raise Hard

There are several obvious times when it benefits a player to raise hard: to promote a middling to good hand after a weak flop, to protect an excellent starting hand after a flop that's more likely to benefit your opponents, to get information from your opponents when you're unsure of the position of your own hand, and to shake off calling stations.

When Not to Raise Hard

It's never a good idea to raise hard as an act of desperation, nor is it a good idea to raise hard against an opponent that has consistently bet like they have a better hand.

The Pros

Raising hard on the flop is a good way to get rid of stragglers and river rats before going into the turn and river. It's also a good way to guarantee yourself a fair number of quick and moderately sized pots. Raising hard is also an easy way to gauge the strength of your opponents' hands, and to judge your own hand accordingly.

The Cons

It's important to remember that there are more maniacs online; they may call or reraise with nothing just to try to double up or call a bluff. In other words, raising hard on the flop is riskier online. With that in mind, raising hard on the flop shouldn't automatically commit you to a hand; in fact, many players will raise hard on the flop as a last stand if they're concerned an opponent has made a better draw and are feeling their hand strength out early instead of making the long haul into the showdown.  In other words, if you refuse to fold your hand, then bear in mind that raising hard on the flop could be the first big step toward an all-in in NL or even PL.