Playing Big Cards Post Flop
Low Limit Hold'em players love playing Big Cards and any random big cards will do. Hands like KJ and QJ are cards that are much of the time overplayed before the flop. Often players overplay random big cards and commit too many chips to the pot before the flop. The result is that they find it difficult to lay the hand down when missing the flop.
The simple strategy that you should adopt with random big cards is to proceed after the flop if you pair one of your big cards (as a minimum), fold if you miss (with a bet). This seems like common sense but time and time again, Hold'em players hold on much further into a hand than they should. The downside of this is that the longer you hold on, the more chips you will have put towards the pot. Where you lose is that you are not getting a good value bet for your money (you do not have enough outs).
It is these kinds of scenarios that reinforce the need to bet sensibly pre flop and not get carried away with big random cards. Don't treat them with too much respect, as they are only good if they hit the flop. Lets have a look at a few scenarios that happen all too often. Lets assume that you hold Q-J off suit, the flop reads T-K-A. You have flopped the nuts. You will very likely make a good profit on this hand unless you come up against a flush.
A player who has flopped top pair or better will have trouble getting away from their hands. Raise the pot but don't scare people off their hand re-raising continually. Remember in Low limit games, players will call you with a glimmer of hope of making that big hand. Use this to your advantage.
Let's now look at a flop of Q-6-9. You have flopped top pair with a Jack kicker, pretty good. This time you have a fairly good hand and should put in the bet or raise. You should be cautious if the betting gets extensive or you are re raised. One skill you must develop is knowing when to lay down top pair. Top pair is top pair. Remember the hierarchy of poker hands. Where is a pair? Second from bottom! It is a good hand pre flop, but as you go through a game if it doesn't improve it gets weaker and weaker. You must get used to doing this.
Ignore this comment and players will take money off you time after time knowing that you won't lay down anything. If you were to have Q-5, top pair (although a weak kicker) and you were up against another player with Q-T (a better kicker), you would only have 3 outs were this the case (or less).
The third scenario is that whereby you miss on the flop but have 2 over cards. Low limit Hold'em players love to play these hands but seeing the turn is the wrong play, especially if you have to call a raise or double raise! The best you can hope for is 6 outs, any J or any Q. Lets say the flop is Q-6-9. Lets assume one player has J-6 - now the J is no good to you.
What if another player has Q-9? This would leave you drawing almost dead in the water. You must remember that Low limit Hold'em players love to play big cards so there is every chance that you have fewer outs than are possible. There is so many ways you can lose and so few that you can win. Dump these kinds of hands if they miss on the flop, as statistically you will lose more hands than you win in these situations which results in you making a loss.
Remember random big cards post flop are only of use to you if they improve as in low limit games you will less frequently be able to bluff people out of the pot.
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