Reading the flop

The flop is three cards, and the first thing to ask is not "did I hit?" but "what kind of flop is this?". Some flops miss everyone; others connect with half the hands in a range. The right play with the same hand differs completely between the two.

Three textures

Dry: three different suits, no cards close in rank, usually one high card and two low ones. K72 rainbow is the classic. No flush draw, no straight draw: whoever has the top pair is way ahead.

Wet: two or three cards of the same suit, connected ranks. 987 with two hearts is the classic. Flush draws, straight draws, two pairs and sets everywhere. Top pair is fragile.

Semi-wet is everything in between: a flush draw on an otherwise dry board, or two connected cards with a rainbow. The app scores every flop and puts it in one of these three boxes.

Where does my hand stand

Once you know the texture, place your hand in one of five boxes. Strong: two pair or better. Good pair: top pair or an overpair. Weak pair: a middle or bottom pair. Draw: a flush draw or an open-ended straight draw. Air: nothing at all.

Texture and hand strength: that is all you need for the c-bet rule in the next lesson.