Chasing a flush online

When you are playing texas hold'em poker online, one of the decisions you will have to make sometimes is whether or not to chase a flush.

Chasing a flush online is a controversial topic, sometimes it makes sense to do so, sometimes the numbers just don't add up.  Chasing, in poker terminology, means betting to stay in the hand in the hopes of making a better hand when the next card is dealt.  Sometimes people who chase don't actually have anything worth betting with.  In these cases, the chaser usually stayed in for cheap, and they are just hoping to get lucky.

Chasing a flush means betting that you will get the card or cards you need to complete the flush on the turn and/or river.  Before the flop, you aren't really chasing a flush because you only have two cards – the chances of getting a flush are very slim if you're still missing three of the cards you need.

Let's imagine that you have an Ace and 6 of Hearts, and you've made it to the flop.  The flop gives 2h 8h Ks, and your opponents bet strongly, with a fairly big raise.  You could see that raise, but with a flop like that, you don't know what you're up against.  There could be a triple, another flush draw, a pair of kings, or a bluff.  With your hand, if you don't get the flush, the only hand you could beat is the bluff. 

You might think that you have a good chance of catching a flush.  It's true that with a hand like this you have a 42% chance of getting a flush when there's two cards left to be seen, but if you bet, and the turn doesn't give you a flush, what will you do?  You'll have put a lot of money into the pot by this stage, making you pot committed.  You might have to put more money into the flush and see it through – even though your chances of making a flush on the river are just 21%.

Chasing a flush is a big gamble, and it's easy to end up committing to hands that just aren't worth it.  Think carefully before putting money into the pot.

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