10 Tips for Playing Postflop after Raising Before the Flop

15 Jul 2024

Today we're going to give you 10 tips for playing postflop after raising before the flop. So, what do we mean here? If you're the pre-flop aggressor and you've raised before the flop, there’s some easy tips on how to play after the flop.

Pre-Tips

First things first, playing postflop is the most important aspect of No-Limit Hold'em. Sure, it matters what hand you start with, but it matters how you play those hands after the flop. There's only one street pre-flop, but there are three streets post-flop: the flop, turn, and river. So, you really need to understand the mechanics behind what goes into all of that. 

There's a lot to consider over three streets. This is exactly what we was getting into. Start with the flop and work from there. Think about the range your opponent starts with pre-flop, and then start extrapolating that after the flop. 

So, let's say you have a really dry flop and you know that they wouldn't continue with really weak hands. Now, you can start eliminating some of the range that they started with when you get to the turn and then ultimately the river. It's really important to understand how someone's range starts on the flop and what happens to it as the hand progresses.

What I mean by this (and these aren't necessarily the tips yet — these are the pre-tips to get you into the mode of playing post-flop) is to understand the nature of board texture. Understand when to make a small bet or maybe a big bet. Try anything that makes it easier for you to play the game without overthinking or stumbling because you're trying to do too much.

It starts with understanding someone's pre-flop range, but we really delve deeper from the flop to the turn and then to the river. Things change significantly — if you bet the flop, expect your opponent to fold some hands, call with others, and possibly raise with strong holdings. Understanding how to navigate these dynamics is key.

Poker is fundamentally a game of strategy. While some may think it's solely about reading opponents, it's far more nuanced. Against a balanced player, expect a mix of bluffs, value hands, and medium-strength hands. Understanding ranges and strategic thinking are essential, and that's where I come in to help you. Alright, let's move on to the 10 tips:

#1: Continuation bet more on dry boards

This is fundamental (Poker 101). If you're the first to enter the pot and someone calls, and you see a dry board — like an ace-high board with no flush or straight draws — let's take an example like Ace-8-Deuce. The only straight draws here are 3-5, 4-5, 3-4, so these hands are less likely to be played unless suited, especially from the big blind.

Anyway, you have the advantage here because you hold more pocket aces, Ace-King, and Ace-Queen. It's natural in the game's strategy to continuation bet more on dry boards that favor the initial raiser. That's your first tip.

#2: Check stronger hands on connected boards

This means that on highly coordinated boards, you should include some strong hands in your checking range because they don't connect well with the board. For example, if the flop comes 5-6-7 and you hold pocket aces, while it's a strong hand preflop, on this flop, others could have flopped sets, two pairs, or even a straight. Even a hand like Ace-8 has eight outs against your pocket aces, with about a 32% chance to improve. 

So, sometimes it's strategic to check stronger hands on connected boards due to the board's texture. This is a crucial concept in the game. The reason for this strategy is also balance. Instead of always betting your strong hands, mixing in checks with strong holdings can deceive opponents into thinking you're weaker than you are, setting up traps.

#3: Bet smaller on dry boards and bigger on connected ones

Now, I probably should have clarified the terminology used earlier. When I mentioned "connected boards" previously, it contrasts with "dry boards." Betting smaller on dry boards is typically safer because the board texture isn't likely to change much. On the other hand, connected boards already have a "wet" texture. For example, if I'm betting on a board like J-10-4 with two Spade board, I'd lean towards larger bets. 

The hands I bet here are either for value or as bluffs, establishing a story and defining my range. A small bet might not achieve much on connected boards because hands that would call a big bet would likely also call a small bet. 

#4: Be more aggressive IP (in position) than OOP (out of position)

This makes sense because when you're in position, you get information first and can make decisions accordingly. You can apply pressure to opponents out of position with aggressive actions such as frequent betting across flop, turn, and river.

#5: Make sure you have a check-raising range

This is incredibly important — I often see amateur players who delay check-raising their hands that should be raised for value. In a strategic game, balance is key. 

It's about maintaining balance within your strategy, which includes having both strong hands and sometimes even weaker hands that benefit from a check-raise.

#6: Do not overplay your hand against multiple opponents

This is critical in No-Limit Hold'em. When you're up against one opponent, it's easier to gauge their likely hands. However, with two or three opponents, there are exponentially more hand combinations to consider, increasing the likelihood that someone has a strong holding. 

For instance, if you have a strong hand like the third nuts but there's potential for a straight or flush on the board, and multiple players are actively calling and betting, you need to exercise caution. When facing multiple opponents, it's vital to be mindful of the increased risk and adjust your strategy accordingly.

#7: Group your hands to easily remember how to play them

This is particularly beneficial when diving into poker theory and working with a solver to understand how ranges are divided into strategic segments. Here's how I typically categorize hands:

• Top of your range: These are your strongest hands that you want to value bet aggressively.
• Middle of your range: Hands that have potential to win at the river, but aren't necessarily strong enough to bet throughout the entire hand.
• Bottom of your range: Hands that are unlikely to win at showdown. Sometimes you may want to give up with these, but they can also be effective as bluff candidates.

It's important to group these hands together to understand their roles within your overall strategy and how best to play them in different situations.

#8: Understand who has a range advantage 

The term "range advantage" refers to which player possesses the stronger range and more equity on a given flop. Let me break it down for you:

Imagine I raise under the gun (an early position) and the big blind calls. My range typically consists of the top 15-20% of hands, such as middling pairs, suited aces, strong suited kings, and suited broadways. In contrast, the big blind might defend with a much wider range, around 60-70% of hands, including many suited connectors and lower suited aces.

Now, let's consider different flop scenarios:

1. Flop 5-6-7: This type of flop is likely to favor the big blind's wide range. They could easily have hands like 56s, 67s, 89s, which all connect well with this board. My condensed range of stronger hands may struggle to connect with such low, coordinated cards.
2. Flop King-7-4: In contrast, this flop favors my tighter range. I could have hands like Ace-King, pocket kings, aces, queens, or jacks, which the big blind is less likely to have in their wide defending range.

It's about comprehending the strength of your starting hand pre-flop and how well it aligns with the flop, considering the width of each player's range.

This understanding is fundamental in determining who has the overall advantage when comparing all possible hands versus those that your opponent could reasonably hold.

#9: Know what hands to barrel on later streets

This is crucial for effective bluffing in poker. While value betting is straightforward when you have a strong hand or the nuts, bluffing requires a deeper strategy. Here are some key considerations:

• Blockers: Having cards that block your opponent from having strong hands can increase the success of your bluff.
• Board runout: Favorable board textures or runouts that connect with your perceived range can enhance your bluffing potential.
• Understanding opponents: Knowing your opponent's tendencies and how likely they are to fold weaker hands based on the board texture, positions, and betting history is essential.

#10: Be willing to give up sometimes

This is one of the most important aspects of poker. Not every bluff or continuation bet will work out, and it's crucial to recognize when to fold or change tactics to avoid unnecessary losses.

That's hard for some people, sometimes hard for me, but it's just a reality of this game. You have to know when to give up, when you're not going to be able to bluff someone, when you don't have the best hand, when they aren't going to fold. Sometimes you might even feel it in your bones. It's happened to me plenty of times — I've looked at this person, said "this person's just not going to fold," and I still throw the chips out, and then they snap call me and I'm disgusted. 

So don't do that. Make sure you are willing to give up some of the time. And if you do study poker, if you understand theory, then that will help you as well because giving up is also winning — you’re not losing more chips sometimes.

Alright, let’s summarize the 10 aggressive postflop tips:

• Tip #1: Continuation bet more on dry boards.
• Tip #2: Check stronger hands on connected boards.
• Tip #3: Bet smaller on dry boards & larger on connected boards.
• Tip #4: Be more aggressive IP than OOP.
• Tip #5: Make sure you have a check-raising range OOP.
• Tip #6: Do not overplay your hand against multiple opponents.
• Tip #7: Group your hands to make it easier to play.
• Tip #8: Understand who has the range advantage.
• Tip #9: Know what hands to barrel on later streets.
• Tip #10: Be willing to give up some of the time.

We want to emphasize something crucial that has shaped my approach to poker and life in general: never stop learning. As humans, we're constantly evolving and learning from our experiences. Even after playing poker for over 20 years, I'm still on the journey of improvement. Poker is a game that can never be fully mastered because it's always changing and evolving. That's why I'm passionate about sharing these tips — I love the game and enjoy helping others improve their skills.

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