Why Professionals Bet Scary Flops

You can often find a professional or a skilled player betting into scary flops in hold 'em or omaha or when scary cards hit on the turn or river. The same can be said for stud games. The reason for this is that professionals can read their opponents better than an amatuer. However, one overlooked point about betting when scary cards hit has to do with your opponents. Whether you have a made monster hand or not, knowing your opponents well allows you to easily proceed on later betting rounds.

Obviously when you bet at a pot, nobody will complain when everyone folds and you drag the pot. If you are in the situation where you get called, depending on the opponent, you should be way ahead or way behind. If you know if you are way ahead or behind, you can easily proceed with subsequent betting rounds. If you flop top pair/kicker in hold 'em on a flushed flop and you get called by a rock, you are most likely running into a made flush. Knowing that, you can make easy decisions on the turn and river. If the board pairs, you may be able to push you opponent off of the hand, but you'll give up most of the time. Having easier decisions to make at the table will lead to better results. Think about it.