It is always easy (seemingly) for most players to play good cards before the flop. When you have A-K, there is only the question of how much you will raise, rather than if you will see the flop, at least as a general rule. Where many novice players go wrong, however, is after the flop. Obviously, it is many times an easy decision how to play your strong hand that HITS the flop, but what do you do when your strong hand misses the flop?

What many players fail to realize, especially playing online, is that no matter how strong their hand looked pre-flop, it is not necessarily the best hand after the flop. Even though it was worth it to raise with A-Q pre flop, that hand is nothing more than an Ace high when the flop comes J-7-2 rainbow. Ace high is simpy not a hand that you want to go to war with. Even though it looked good before the flop, you are now beaten by someone who made a stupid call with J-7 suited and lucked out.

Many many times, I have seen players bust out by insisting that their A-K or A-Q is good after it has totally missed the flop. You cannot become married to these hands when they are obviously beaten. It is scary how many players will do just that. I am not saying that a continuation bet is out of the question, that may still have merit, although, the continuation bet has become such a standard play in online poker that it is seldom respected. You may want to try it to see if it will take the hand, there is nothing wrong with that. But, if you are re-raised, consider that you are beaten.

The key thing to remember playing NL Hold em online, is that so many players will play ANY hand. If you totally miss the flop, and I mean no real hope of a draw, nothing, someone else probably hit a piece of it and you are significantly behind in the hand. Of course, you may suck out an Ace on the river, but that is no way to play and not something you want to count on.

Bottom line is this; no matter how sexy that hand looked before the flop, if you missed, it is nothing more than Ace high.