Good Hold'em players can 'Read the Board',
and they know what hands might be lurking
out there at the table ready to show themselves
and take the pot. They also know what hands
can not be possible, and so they know not
to worry defending against them. How can
you tell what hands are possible, and what
ones are not? Here are some simple guidelines
to get you started.
Pairs on the Board - if there are a
pair of cards on the board, someone may
have a Four-of-a-Kind. If there are no
pairs on the board, no one can have a
Four-of-a-Kind. Pairs on the board also
make a Full House possible. Both of these
hands are very strong, so when the board
pairs pay attention. Someone may be holding
a monstor hand.
Three of a Suit - is what is necessary
for a flush. Sometimes when the suited
community cards are not particularly impressive,
say 2-7-9 of clubs, it becomes easy to
overlook the potential flush in your opponents
hands.
Sequence Cards - the cards that make
a straight possible. If the cards on the
board only have two 'holes' in a string
of five consecutive cards, someone may
be holding those cards and just may have
that straight. So, when cards like 9-J-Q
show themselves on the board, beware that
an opponent may be holding the 'missing'
10-K in their hand. Of course you know
what cards are in your hand, and that
can help you deduce what cards your opponents
may have. Reading the Board - The board
shows K♦-K¢¼-9¢¾-2¢À-6¢À
- You have: A¢À-K¢À in your hand Is
there a pair on the board? - Yes. Both
a Four-of-a-Kind and a Full House are
possible Are there three suited cards
on the board? - No. A Flush is not possible.
Are there three Sequence Cards on the
board? - No. A straight is not possible.
Can you use your cards to rule out possible
hands? - Yes. Since you have one of the
K, no one can have Four-of-a-Kind this
hand. Conclusion - Because of the pair
on the board, Full Houses are possible.
Your opponent would need to have K¢¾
and either a 9,6, or 2 in their hand to
complete the Full House. Or, they may
have 2-2, 9-9, or 6-6 and complete the
full house in that manner.
this article compliments of http://www.pokerprophet.com
