How to tell if player hits straight or flush?

I have played 1-2 no limit poker for a year now and have become a really tight player and have made money. Still consider myself a newbie. Only play 4 percent of the hands I am dealt.

Here is a problem I run into and have loss big pots:

After the flop, I have a "set/trips" of cards. I am winning at that point. I bet the pot to discourage people from chasing, but idiots I play against will chase their hands though odds are against them (one clown I played against bet $50 -pot had $50 in it- to try and get an inside straight--of course he hit it and I lost my stack to him).

Once the turn or river comes, and say it does possibly give them a flush or straight, what approach or strategy should I use to evaluate if they have indeed hit it and got me beat?

I know I wont know for a fact obviously, but several times they are playing other hands and I have them covered. Any suggestions would be appreciated....lately I have been trying to analyze the size of their bet, once the scare card comes...

Hmmm well first things first dude.. imo you need to loosen up your game... 4 percent of hands dealt you play? thats way to low.. lately I've been having more luck with high-rags than prems..

As for people hitting flushes and straights.. well I have instincts as to whether they have it or not but if your betting big and they're calling.. to me thats an indication they're chasing.. normally they give up on the turn if bet double the amount on the flop I've found.. but if they may have hit hopefully I'm in position where they would most of the time check and I'm happy to check it aswell just incase of a check raise..

If the betting has been heavy up until the river its very doubtful they stuck to the river unless they wanted a massive gamble. Its always good to get the damn flush chasers back when you have a FH and they have a flush though.. maximum lols.

All the pros will tell you when your in a hand with someone pin them on a hand.. You could be wrong but if they raise pre flop try to think do they have two face cards is it a AK situation do they have a mid or small Pocket Pair.. These are the things you have to think about.. then at the flop when they bet try to put them on a hand also they drawing towards a flush a str8.. gut feeling helps also

Try to fold to any raise, only call if you have a top hand.
In the long run, if you play tight, you will win pot..
Let the fish, chase there draws. I just came out of a game with a LAG and beat him.
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Just pick your spots, pounce on them

Start moving all in than instead of raising than you will get payed.. Or play start playing 2/4 the difference is quite big

How are you managing to win playing only 4% of your hands. I guess in a ring game where the blinds stay he same it is possible but in a tourbey or SnG you would be blinded out. As for the flush I would say watch the way a hand develops and how the betting changes. If there are 2 of the flush cards in the flop them it is always a risk.

Agreed, 4% is WAY too low. Playing full ring you should be on around 15%+.
So your post was about judging when a player has hit his straight or flush? If your playing the same limits consistantly you should be getting a feel of play at that level, and a few familiar faces at your tables. Start making notes (if you dont already) and learning a few opponents betting patterns. This will help you pick soft tables after a few weeks.
Try to put your opponents on hands as mentioned above. Look at the texture of the flop. If there is a flush draw/straight draw out there, what are the chances of your villain holding the necessary cards? If they are liable to play any 2 suited, and 2 connectors etc? If so, put a feeler bet out to see where you are.
If its not a flopped hand your worried about, more a draw, then try to price your opponent out. If you think they have a coin toss or less on the flop then bet accordingly. You should be able to buy the pot with the best hand unless your against a loose player, a generally bad player, or if you have been giving off a 'maniac' image.
The question is, why would you want to? If I can get someone to commit a pot sized bet on a gutshot straight draw while i'm holding trips, I'd want to play him every day!
Sounds like your having a bad run. Just remember there are idiots at every level, they are essentially what make the game profitable for the winning players. Unfortunately, they have to get lucky from time to time against the good ones, to keep them coming back!

Do they lead out with a big bet/3bet you when a scary card comes to complete a flush or possible straight draw? Usually that means at micros, say 90% of the time they just hit their straight or flush. At higher limits like 1/2-2/4+ the opponents ranges vary more and you will be more likely to see bluffs thrown at you.

Since you only play like 4% of your hands, they know if they hit they can stack you too as you will probably have tptk or an overpair.... or set..

Well... as long as you price these players out of their draw, there isnt much else you can do? If you make bad odds for them to call, they call and hit their draw, you are running bad.


Also if you dont know this.... you probably shouldnt be playing 1/2 online lol. Maybe drop down to 50nl or something as the 200nl players are pretty solid.

Ya if your only playing 4% of hands I'd image your throwing most small pairs, try to see cheap flops (even call a 3x bb) with these hands for implied pot odd reasons. You hit on flop, with 2 others in hand u could get one of their stacks. If you do have 2pair/set for flush draws, bet almost the pot that way ur getting the most equity when you probably have the best hand.

thanks for all the insights!


I play live in person at a casino in wisconsin. Practice online. They know me as the tightest player around, but yet i still get action from fish and a new idiot or two. I'm going to keep playing tight until I start losing. Buts its rare if I lose when I play the hand, only to a flush or straight.

check out this hand from last week:


I have J (heart) J (spade) and limp in late position.

Flop comes K (diamond) Q (diamond) J (club)


2 players involved, me and an idiot

Idiot in early position bets 25. I raise to $50.

Turn is 8 of spades

Idiot moves ALL in with $200.


What would you guys and gals do???



Answer: I called with all my chips , around $190.


Idiot turns over J diamonds and 4 diamonds, she is on a diamond draw.
I have trips.

The river card comes out....i saw it was a DIAMOND!! I got up and banged the wall screaming YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!!!!! I was so upset


I come back to my chair.....and guess what?...$400 worth of chips was sitting in front of me and I won!!!!.....I bet you all know what the diamond was!!!

LOL i have had stuff like that happen to me all the time except for i loose usually lol.. Q8Q was the flop i had Q8 push all in guy calls with QK im like yes i won, RIVER WAS A KING! bam out of a 1,000$ freeroll that i was 2 people away from winning 30$.. So crappy was so mad i hit the computer desk and yelled and go so pissed off! LOL.. now that is a bad beat!

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This sounds like a healthy way to approach poker.

You really can't tell unless you observe their betting patterns closely, online it's even more difficult as you can't see them. I think it really comes down observation and how they play. Like the inside straight example you gave. I play mostly a 2-5, or 5-10 game live and if it's something like I have QQ raised preflop and got called by the button. The flop is Q-7-3 rainbow, I bet the pot and the turn is a 4. Then I bet again and they make a big raise. Can I really put them on a 5-6? Maybe, maybe not, it's not super likely. If the stacks are deep like 200BB+ maybe he called hoping to win my entire stack due to the implied odds and with my hand being top set he's almost sure to get paid off.

But really I ask myself what type of player is he, loose or tight? Does he call to try to hit every draw aka a calling station? Will he make a big raise without the nuts? Most importantly I try to put him on a range of hands and then figure out what the odds are that they have those hands, like in the above situation I'd think "I raised preflop in EP and he called on the button. A lot of times calls in late pos are small to med pairs but he could have connecting cards. Ok there's a small chance he's bluffing with the raise, we'll factor that in not likely but possible. Now what other hands could he be making this play with? Ok there's the made straight, but there's also a set of 7s or 3s a lot of players will push with a set made hoping I have something like AA, KK, and pay them off on their small set. Right now in this situation the only hand that beats me is exactly 5-6 and there's more hands that I can beat so I'm playing and probably putting him all-in" Obviously in this example you're not folding, but when a flush or straight card hits in other scenarios it's much more difficult.

It's a hard question and really situationally dependent and dependent on your opponent. I play all the time and I hear all the time 'I knew he had that exact hand' but really most of the time it's BS. Sure everyone does it at times they call their opponents hand, but most of the time can you really put someone on their exact hand? Not in my experience, putting them on a range and factoring in the likelihood of having those hands works better for me and then making my decision. Of course some clairvoyant people will disagree and claim they can accurately 'put them on a hand' all the time lol. But yeah I think about a range for what they have and factor in the likelihood of them having it based on my observation and the betting, but it all comes down to observing how the guy plays a lot of people will chase and dont care or dont know about the odds.

The best way to tell if your opponent has either a straight or a flush is your instinct. How was the story told. WWhich position is this player in. His bettn paterns and ect.

Thanks for the advice!!

FYI I entered my first tournament last weekend. 50 players and placed 4th in the money!!

Uh, I really "played" only 3 hands all night (raising hands KA 99 A 10 suited) and let everyone else go against each other and take each other out.....I am perplexed.....I had no chance at winning it, becuase I just folded enough to make the final table and the prize money...

At that limit try 3betting more in position to narrow the range of hands people call with. Once the flop comes down and u have trips and there are draws on the board that gives u more info. If ur in position and there is check to u. Over bet the pot and if a call is made and draw card turns u still have position and most likely the caller will check and u can see the river for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. remember u can only lose what u put in to the pot.

Ya I would not limp in LP with JJ, remember you want to put money in when you have the best hand and chances are you do. Plus when you make a continuation bet at that flop, you will get folding equity from 1 or 2 people and they won't try to push you out as much =)

ok a few things. why are we betting? we bet to make them(chasers) make a mistake to call. yes we want them to call but we want them to make a mistke to do it too. now after the turn completes we now dont want to give the implied odds they needed to call the flop bet. in other word if another $100 goes into the pot by you they got paid off. often if i flop a set i'll bet the pot and check the turn if it completes a draw. often getting to stack them if the river pairs the board. i see so many people check there flush to be tricky and give me a shot at the boat. so as i see it its bet the pot and check fold if they end up getting odds(they need to make $200 on their $50) or just shove the flop and get paid up front. but you want a call by weaker hands.

Part of your problem (imo) is that you are WAY TOO TIGHT. Now, if that's your style and it's winning, stick with it. But when I see a Uber Nit at the table, I will purposely call with weaker hands knowing if I hit a monster, they're going to pay me off. Perfect example at a 1/2NL table live casino:

I get 3/4 Hearts 3 seats to the right of the BB. The uber nit (literally only raises with High PP or AK, nothing else) is on the button. He raises from the button to $12. Everyone else folds to me. I call.

Flop: 5 6 7 with 2 spades.

I check. He bets out $20 (Pot is $31). I raise him to $50. He goes All in over the top of me for his whole stack (roughly 300). Of course I call. I flip over the straight and he's in shock when his QQ isn't any good.

My whole point of this story is that if people have you pegged as a super nit, they will be MORE LIKELY to call with less pot odds and try more to draw out on you because they know if they hit, it's good.

I have no problem with people calling with longshots. I will crush them long term....That is what I want......I have no problem receiving action....and they know I am the tightest player around. I have bluffed many times with a missed QA KA c-bet and they will lay down their hands.....

When I hit the flop for a set or tptk, even with draws on the board, I might check it especially in EP. This way I get information about what others might be holding. Weak bet = weak pair, strong bet = trying to protect against the draw. A lot of the times when you bet 2/3 pot postflop and turn, it is obvious you have a pair trying to protect. Even a donk with half a brain can see that. So once again, I might just not protect the flop. This disguises my hand somewhat and reduces the pot size which could be good or bad. A little bad when you win and very good when you get donked.