How To Play Strong Hands-On Monotone Flops (Check Raise vs Slow-play)

When you’re playing poker dominoqq and end up with three cards in a flop with the same suit, it is called a monotone flop. Now let’s suppose you have a strong hand on a monotone flop, such as a flush or two pair. What do you do if your opponent makes a small continuation bet?

Well, you’ll have to make a choice between a check-raise and a slow play. The choice you make will affect whether or not you win the game. For instance, if you have a monotone flop with a high flush, it allows you to block many of your opponent’s hands and range.

In this case, you would check-raise your opponent. However, a check-raise is only suitable to do with certain types of flushes. Slow playing is what you will normally do with most flushes on a monotone flop. After all, if you check-raise, then your opponent is probably not going to fold on a two pair or flush draw.

With the high equity of your flushes in comparison to the other player’s folding range, you should have a less desire to check-raise. That might seem strange to someone who loves to check-raise with flushes on a monotone flop. But any expert will tell you that you should only check-raise on some flushes of a monotone flop.

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If you do check-raise with a strong hand on a monotone flop, the size of your check-raise should be half the entire betting pot. It should be a smaller pot size overall, with smaller bets being made in the game. If players are making larger bets and growing the pot size significantly, then try not to check-raise so much.

For instance, don’t check-raise more than 33% of the pot. If you need to increase your bet size, do not go over 10% of the pot. But if your hands are straights or two pairs, avoid a check-raise and go with a slow play. You can do this with a check-call, where you raise 20% and call 80%.

You have to grow accustomed to comparing your opponent’s range to the incentives that come with your hands. Your opponent’s hands can be categorized in two different ways. First, there are continuing hands to your raise or bet. Secondly, there are folding hands to your raise or bet.

If your hand provides great equity versus your opponent’s continuing range, you’ll have a greater incentive to raise them. But if you have greater equity versus your opponent’s folding range, you don’t have much of an incentive to raise them.

Final Words

If you’re a newbie at poker, then you’ll probably need more experience before you can play strong hands on a monotone flop well. The slow play is the safest way to play until you learn more about strong hands and whether a check-raise or slow play is suitable for them. But if you ever have doubts or uncertainties about this in a game, play it safe and go with the slow play.

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