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Five of the total Seven-Cards can be seen after the flop. At this point, you will have a good indication of how strong your hand will be in the final round. Consider your cards, and bets carefully. Staying for the Turn and the River demands that you either have a strong hand, a draw to a potentially winning hand, or good reason to believe that betting on a future round may cause your opponents to fold.
As a general rule, don't continue beyond the flop without diverse possibilities - a strong pair and a decent side-card, a kicker, a straight, or flush draw. If you flop a draw, stick with it as long as the pot promises a greater payoff than the odds against making your hand.
Although Ace-King is a terrific starting combination, it generally needs to catch a flop with either an Ace or King in it to play aggressively.
When you must act before most of your opponents, play few hands. Acting last in Hold'em is like batting last in baseball. It's a big advantage. In fact, hands that you'd routinely fold from early position might be raising hands if you are last to act.
Carefully consider how the communal cards can interact with your two hidden pocket cards to create a winning hand.
Call it quits when necessary. You haven't lost much if you have a worthless hand and fold early in the game. It's good practice to err on the side of caution; it costs less.
Success at Texas Hold'em demands that you be patient, pay close attention to position, and take comfort in the knowledge that good hands are run down less often than the best seven-card stud hands.
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