Flow Theory part one

What I call “Flow Theory” is a super advanced way of playing in certain no limit Texas Hold’em games but it is also a highly dangerous way if you do not have the proper poker skills after the flop.

What I am about to teach you is a way of playing no limit hold’em against other good players. It is a way of playing the game that would get you an edge irrespective of who the opposition was.

When I sit down in any poker game, I do not have any set way of playing. Set ways of doing anything means that your style is inflexible and static and is certainly not conducive to playing expert top level poker. So when I sit down in a game, I am instantly looking at what everyone else is doing and trying to get a feel for what everyone is up to. You see, the vast majority of the other players will sit down with a set strategy and a set way of how they play certain hands and certain situations.

Certain players will try to bully by constantly raising, others will be limping in a lot with speculative hands and trying to flop the nuts and hoping to trap someone. Others will be playing by the book with what hands they call and raise with before the flop. Once I understand how they are playing and more importantly, WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IN THE GAME then I can plot my strategy around that.

So in essence the FLOW of the game dictates my strategy and NOT the cards. Because the cards have little impact on the way that I play then I will literally play ANYTHING even 7-2 in the right situation. Let me tell you a big secret about no limit hold’em and something that no one except the professionals really take on board fully. It does not really matter much what you play before the flop as long as YOUR POST FLOP PLAY IS VERY GOOD with the hand that you have.

When you play this way and play with literally anything then you play havoc with all of the book players and the tight solid players and all of the players who pride themselves on being able to lay a good hand down and the players who can recognise a good situation from a bad situation and players who are afraid and fearful….I could go on all night. If the players in the blinds were predictable and tight then I would attack with a 7-2. Even if they called then chances are that I would take it away from them on the flop thus winning more money.

Do not take this advice too far though, some hands in some situations simply will not be profitable. What I have said in this article is that any hand in the right situation can be profitable but it is the situation that is proving itself to be profitable and not the hand itself in many instances.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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