Testing the Pre-Flop Raiser

  What happens before the flop and what happens after it can be as different as night and day. Somebody behaving like a lion before the first three cards hit the board may be reduced to impotent hamster after the flop. Of course this transformation is only valuable if you know they have been neutered and play accordingly.  If you have something like a Q-10 or a Q-J, and one of your opponents raises after you before the flop this could have a whole host of meanings. It is not time to assume they got pocket Aces or Kings. If the flop comes down similar to a Q-5-7 or J-10-2, either way you have a top pair at this point. This would be the time to bet into your opponent and test whether or not their hand survived the flop.  Your aggression will signal to your opponents that the flop has given you a top pair. Unless you have a reputation for frequent bluffing, everyone else at the table will be reluctant to call your bets and raises unless they have something worth investing in. If the player who was showing aggression before the flop raises or re-raises you, chances are you are facing somebody with pocket Aces or Kings. If they act more passively, or fold outright, their hand didn't pan out the way they originally thought it might.