SEEING A FLOP

If you think of a straight as the silent assassin at the poker table, you won’t go too far wrong. It can appear out of nowhere and strike without fear, but when left out in the open can suddenly become vulnerable and significantly less fearsome. It can be viewed as the poor relation of the flush in ‘big hand’ stakes, but a well-played straight can still be a devastatingly effective way for you to win a lot of chips.

You will occasionally flop a straight – Hallelujah! – but more often than not you’ll make a straight after drawing to two or three of the flop cards.