Poker Lesson 33: Reading the Board

For a Holdem player, reading the board is one of those base, critical skills that one needs to learn in order to effectively play the game. Reading the board means that a player can look at the community cards on the table and calculate the strongest possible hands. For example:

... After the flop the highest possible hand is:

... The next biggest hands would be:

... Following that, the next most powerful hands would be a two pair and then aces with large kickers. The fourth card comes out, and the board now shows the following:

... The choices have now been limited, and the highest possible hand is a straight flush:

... Right after that would be a four of a kind:

... The River card appears and the final board is the following cards:

... A higher straight flush is possible:

... It is not always mandatory to have the best hand to win the pot. In the above example (depending on the betting) a hand that contained a single king of diamonds would give you the nut flush. This could very easily be the winning hand, and someone with a pair of aces as their hole cards shouldn't hesitate to bet and raise (and re-raise) with their hands on this board. The idea, though, is to know what hands are possible so you don't get trapped. Think outside of your own hand because the hands that are possible for you are also possible for your opponents. You don't want to get caught up in a raising war thinking yours is the best hand when it isn't.