An exciting part of playing poker is to encounter a flush draw. The flush in poker is a five-card poker hand consisting of cards from the same suit. This is a highly sought-after hand ranking as it sits at the fifth position on the poker hand rankings table, making it a formidable hand to win with. Therefore, seeing this on the table instantly puts the player on an advantage provided he knows how to take it from there. It signifies the opportunity to form a flush hand with the hole cards you possess and the cards that show up on the table through the betting rounds. It isn’t a routine to find flush draws and so today, we give you a detailed game-plan on how to use them in a real poker game.
Nature of the Flush Draw Formation
Finding a flopped flush draw is perhaps the most enticing situation. It gives you a sense of assurance that you know you have a big hand to make even though it is not quite ready. The thrill of stacking your opponent when the next card unfolds is what makes poker so much fun. There will naturally arise situations when you will not be able to hit the winner. During such times, you will have to play your hand efficiently to minimize your losses. It is inevitable to face moments when you can’t catch a break regardless of how you go about with it. All of these are aspects of poker that mature players are well aware of. The finest players will always look to lessen this harsh nature of the game by making sure they play their draws, especially the draws to the best that they possibly could.
What is a Flopped Flush Draw?
When talking about flush options, you will often hear experienced players point out the importance of handling a flopped flush draw the right way during big money poker tournaments. Technically, these draws can be used to denote a few different things. In a game, you could face a scenario where you see three suit cards on the board of which you have one. In another variation of the same scenario, you could hold two suited cards and find two more on the table. You are bound to be profited more by holding two cards of the same suit in your hand. This more than likely suggests that your rival at the table is not after a flush and it gives your hand much needed deceit. Among these two kinds of flopped flush draws, the strategy you use to play them are common in some cases and unique in others. You will hardly ever find two to be similar, and so the way you play them depends on the particular situation.
How to Play a Flopped Flush Draw?
Playing flush draws the right way is more important than identifying one. Players tend to get overwhelmed and let their opponents take undue advantage. To prevent this from your next round at the table, here are four unique circumstances on how to play the flopped flush draw.
Use Deceit in Limped Pots
It is in your best interest to try all sorts of deception to your poker hand while playing a limped pot. Your opponents are likely to dismiss the idea of you going for a flush if you are either positioned at the blinds or limping from another spot at the table. Which is why this is the perfect occasion for a total play of deception when having a flopped flush draw available. When it comes to succeeding with flopped flush draws in a limped pot, the strategy must always be to lead out or make a raise for long-term gains at the game. Remember, calling bets are key to have an eventful outing due to their link with passive plays. Even the most amateur of poker novices will be able to predict your hand if you call bets on a board having massive draws and then decide only to raise when the draw actually hits.
More on the line with Raised Pots
While playing with a raised pot, the situation could get more challenging since they contain ore risk. Having money already invested in the pot, you will now have to put even more on the line with each street you choose to play. Putting that into perspective, you must be willing to put all of your money in the middle when you see a major draw like the flush draw. Things work differently here in the sense that players often tend to assume that their opponents are more likely not to flop draws and instead hold pairs, over cards and other such hands. In terms of limped pots, calling bets would be considered as a weak and inefficient move. However, in a raised pot, doing so can easily stack most of the players. That is the versatile factor of poker. You play the game as per the prevailing situation, not as per what you decide beforehand.
Three to a Flush: A Move to Rather Let Go
A flop where you have three cards to form a flush is not only going to be the least likely of all odds to get you revenue, but it is also the worst of all times to have all of your money at the centre of the table. The reasoning behind this is simple - your opponent is easily going to outsmart your hand. This makes it almost impossible to stack them due to the predictability of what you are aiming for. The only way to be bluffing about it is to shove on the flop, and that is not a very wise thing to do as it will barely bring you any profits. You need to play your hands very passively here and let your opponents guess as much as possible without them coming after you. All you can do is be patient and wait till you already make a flush before playing aggressively.
Two to a Flush: An Opportunity to Earn
The most commonly occurring scenario is also the one that is most likely to see you get paid. The incentive in these draws depends on a few factors, and you will know about those depending on the way the game plays out. The first thing to consider is if the board is paired. A paired board has a significant drop in the value of the flush even if it may be the nuts. Another question you need to ask yourself is regarding the strength of your flush. Sometimes players make a mistake in thinking that any draw will give them a winning hand; they don’t take into account the strength of the flush. Playing flopped flush draws could be complicated indeed and playing them correctly even more so. However, if you take a moment to think the move through, you won’t be facing as much of a problem.
We hope you learnt about these draws in this article to analyze your gameplay even better for the next poker game you play. You can find many more such informative blogs and website pages on the official Spartan Poker webpage. If you are new to Spartan, you could always get started by downloading our app and avail exciting welcome bonuses. From Texas Hold’em to 32-Card Draw, there are plenty of poker variants for you to play from. So, log onto Spartan and embark on a poker voyage like never before.
