Texas Hold'em: Fit or Fold

The flop, or the first three community cards turned over by the dealer, is one of the most important aspects and moments in a game of Texas Hold'em. This is where players can discover whether or not their hands any particular strength. This is when you decide whether or not you should follow through on your starting hand, now that you know its general strength. It can easily become a devastatingly bad decision should you decide to continue to play through a flop that doesn't serve you.

There are literally millions of potential combinations of the flop and hole cards - that knowledge alone should ward you off playing with a weak combination as someone else, in all likelihood, has the better one. Known author Shane Smith created a phrase, "Fit or Fold", to determine whether or not the issue should be pursued at the flop. The flop can generally fit or help your hole cards in Texas Hold'em in three ways.

The first way it can help your hand is if it improves what you currently have. The flop could potentially give you a complete five card hand, possibly even an unbeatable one, from the very start. Usually, this makes the question of fit or fold moot, as the action to be taken is relatively obvious, even to the greenest of poker players.

Alternatively, while it may not create the perfect or even a complete hand for you it could potentially create a drawing hand or one that requires one more card to develop into a fighting chance. This includes have two pair, as it can potentially lead into a full house or being a card short from a flush or a straight. A common poker tip states that if you have three or more players running with you on that round, it'll be worth it.

The third way is if it does not help your hole cards in any way but cannot possibly beat your hole cards at that point. Every now and then, you'll end up with a pair that's simply higher than anything else on the table. With that alone, you have the chance to just keep playing.

The previous statements can look very simplistic but keep in mind that these rules are generalizations and not specific moves. There are plenty of other considerations or variables to think about before you run with your potential hand. However, knowing Shane Smith's phrase of "Fit or Fold" can help dramatically in making that decision.