Texas Holdem Poker :: Reading the Board
Good Hold'em players can 'Read the Board', and they know what hands might be lurking out there at the table ready to show themselves and take the pot. They also know what hands can
not be possible, and so they know not to worry defending against them.
Once you get the hang of it, determining what hands are possible given what cards are on the board becomes second nature.
Pairs - If there is a pair of cards on the board, someone may have:
- Four-of-a-Kind
- Full House
- Both of these hands are very strong, sowhen the board pairs pay attention. Someone may be holding a monstor hand.
Three of a Suit - If there are three of a suite, someone may have:
- Flush
Sometimes when the suited community cards are not particularly impressive, say 2-7-9 of clubs, it becomes easy to overlook the potential flush in your opponents hands.
Sequence Cards - If there are sequence cards on the board, someone may have:
- Straight
If the cards on the board only have two 'holes' in a string of five consecutive cards, someone may be holding those cards and justmay have that straight. So, when cards like 9-J-Q show themselves on the board, beware that an opponent may be holding the 'missing' 10-K in their hand.
Of course you know what cards are in your hand, and that can help you deduce what cards youropponents may have, and what hands you are and are not up against.
| Reading the Board |
- The board shows K♦-K♠-9♥-2♣-6♣
- You have: A♣-K♣ in your hand
|
Is there a pair on the board?
- Yes. Both a Four-of-a-Kind and a Full House are possibleAre there three suited cards on the board?
- No. A Flush is not possible. Are there three Sequence Cards on the board?
- No. A straight is not possible. Can you use your cards to rule out possible hands?
- Yes. Since you have one of the K, no one can have Four-of-a-Kind this hand. Conclusion
- Because of the pair on the board, Full Houses are possible.
Your opponent would need to have K♥ and either a 9,6, or 2 in their hand
to complete the Full House. Or, they may have 2-2, 9-9, or 6-6 and complete the full house in that manner. |
