Pairs on the Board - if there are a pair of cards on the board, someone may have a Four-of-a-Kind. If there are no pairs on the board, no one can have a Four-of-a-Kind. Pairs on the board also make a Full House possible. Both of these hands are very strong, so when the board pairs pay attention. Someone may be holding a monstor hand.
Three of a Suit - is what is necessary for a flush. Sometimes when the suited community cards are not particularly impressive, say 2-7-9 of clubs, it becomes easy to overlook the potential flush in your opponents hands.
Sequence Cards - the cards that make a straight possible. If the cards on the board only have two 'holes' in a string of five consecutive cards, someone may be holding those cards and just may have that straight. So, when cards like 9-J-Q show themselves on the board, beware that an opponent may be holding the 'missing' 10-K in their hand. Of course you know what cards are in your hand, and that can help you deduce what cards your opponents may have. Reading the Board - The board shows K♦ -K¢¼-9¢¾-2¢À-6¢À - You have: A¢À-K¢À in your hand Is there a pair on the board? - Yes. Both a Four-of-a-Kind and a Full House are possible Are there three suited cards on the board? - No. A Flush is not possible. Are there three Sequence Cards on the board? - No. A straight is not possible. Can you use your cards to rule out possible hands? - Yes. Since you have one of the K, no one can have Four-of-a-Kind this hand. Conclusion - Because of the pair on the board, Full Houses are possible. Your opponent would need to have K¢¾ and either a 9, 6, or 2 in their hand to complete the Full House. Or, they may have 2-2, 9-9, or 6-6 and complete the full house in that manner.
this article compliments of http://www.pokerprophet.
