Strategy for Playing Flush Draws Post Flop
Nothing is nicer then seeing a flush draw develop on the flop when you hold close to the nut flush draw with two cards still to come. How you play your flush draw after the flop is going to depend a lot upon how your opponents play the pot and what position you have in the hand. Position is really important when you’re playing Holdem and this is just one of the many reasons why.
If you’re in early position with a flush draw then you basically have two options which is to check the flop or bet the flop. If you check the flop then you will obviously be looking for your opponents to check as well so that you can get a free card to see if you hit the flush. If you bet the flop then you will have the opportunity to win the pot right then, but you will also be building the pot in case you hit your flush. I personally like betting the flop in early position because it will give you an idea where you stand and it will help disguise your flush draw. If you check and then someone bets after you and you only flat call then that opponent is going to have a good idea you have a flush draw so if it hits you might not get paid off.
If you’re in late position then you will get to watch how every other player acts before you which will give you an idea where you stand in the pot. If nobody has bet the pot yet then I would suggest using your position to bet the pot because even if you don’t take it down then you will be able to control the pot because most of the time the players who called on the flop will check to you on the turn which will allow you to see the river for free if you would like. If you hit your flush, most players won’t suspect you of having it in this situation. If someone bets in front of you then you will probably be best off just making a flat call in late position because it won’t give away your draw completely.
Obviously your odds for hitting the flush after the flop are a lot better then hitting the flush after the turn so if you don’t hit your flush on the turn then you need to consider your odds. If your opponent continues betting into the pot on the turn then you need to check out your pot odds. If you’re still getting the pot odds to make the call then you can chase it to the river, but if your opponent makes an over bet to scare out the draws then you probably should fold. Flush draws aren’t that uncommon so you will have plenty of chances of hitting a flush and trapping your opponents throughout a session so you don’t need to chase everyone down to the river. Always ensure you’re getting the right odds for chasing the flush and also consider if you’ll have any options other then folding after the river. If you think you can bluff out your opponent then you might have more leverage for making the call on the turn, but this is only relevant if your opponent is betting smaller amounts. If your opponent is making pot sized bets or higher then you can bet they have a hand that they will call down with unless the draw hits.
