In chapter 6 of Play Optimal Poker 2, Andrew Brokos examines what to do on flops where the pre-flop raiser no longer enjoys a clear range advantage, and why blindly continuation-betting these boards is a good way to get crushed by big blind check-raises.
When the Pre-Flop Raiser Doesn’t Own the Board
The main example is:
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UTG (Ivan) raises,
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BB (Opal) calls,
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Flop: 9♥ 7♦ 6♥ (dynamic, connected, draw-heavy).
On this board:
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Equity is almost equal (Opal actually has a tiny edge).
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Nuts advantage belongs to Opal (she has more sets and straights like T8s, 66).
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EV overall still favors Ivan because of position, especially on such a changing board.
So even though Ivan raised pre-flop, this is not a spot where he can fire range bets with impunity.
Ivan’s Flop Strategy: Bet Some, Check a Lot
Why He Needs a Real Checking Range
Because Ivan:
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Doesn’t dominate the board in equity,
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Doesn’t have the nut-heavy range,
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And faces a big blind who can credibly check-raise very strong hands,
he must protect himself by checking a lot of hands:
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He cannot profitably c-bet 100% like on K♦ 8♦ 8♣–type flops.
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He needs checks to:
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Take free cards with weak holdings that have potential,
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Protect the equity of his marginal showdown hands,
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Avoid being forced to either over-defend or overfold vs check-raises.
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In solver output:
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If allowed only “bet small or check”, Ivan bets around half his range and checks the rest.
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As a human, you don’t need the exact mix, but you should recognize that checking is a core part of his strategy, not a rare exception.
Bet Size Choice: Small, Not Big
If Ivan must pick a single size:
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He should use the small continuation bet:
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On this texture, his bets mainly exist to protect vulnerable good hands (overpairs, top pair, etc.), not to jam the pot with monsters.
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He has very few flopped hands that are happy to play a massive pot right away.
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Solver uses:
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$9 (big) with only a tiny sliver of hands,
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$4 (small) with a much larger chunk.
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Practically: bet small or check; no need for a big flop size here.
Facing Check-Raises: Mostly Call, Never 3-Bet
When Opal check-raises:
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Ivan:
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Mostly calls,
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Folds the worst hands,
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Never re-raises (no flop 3-bet).
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Reasons:
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He doesn’t have the nut advantage required to stuff large amounts of money in.
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The board is extremely dynamic—position is valuable, so he wants to see turns and rivers in position rather than turn the hand into a shove-fest.
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If he tried to bet all his garbage and then defend enough vs check-raises, he’d either:
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Call with trash (spewing), or
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Fold too often (get exploited by cheap check-raise bluffs).
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So he bet-faces-raise-calls with reasonable strength and keeps his range intact.
Which Hands Bet, Which Hands Check?
Strong Hands: Still Usually Bet
Ivan has no “always do X” pure strategies, but:
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His highest-frequency bets are sets and strong made hands.
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On a dynamic board like 9♥ 7♦ 6♥:
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He’s not worried about “capping” his checking range; future turn/river cards will naturally create new strong hands from checked holdings (straights, flushes, etc.).
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His strong hands want to start building pots now before the board gets scarier.
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High-Frequency Checks: AA and Bad Overcards
His most common checks fall into two categories:
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Marginal hands that want showdown, not big pots
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Example: AA on 9♥ 7♦ 6♥.
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It’s strong, hard to outdraw, but doesn’t love getting check-raised or playing a huge pot on such a wet board.
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Checking keeps the pot manageable and preserves its equity.
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Unpaired overcards without backup (no hearts/diamonds)
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Example: A♠ J♠, K♣ Q♣ without backdoor flush draws.
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These hands:
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Have good potential if they catch on the turn,
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But don’t make appealing bluffs (they hate being check-raised),
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Prefer to see turns cheaply where improving puts them nearer the top of their range.
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Checking these is a form of equity preservation: keeping the pot small so they don’t have to fold too much equity to pressure later.
Flush Draws: Weaker Bet More, Stronger Check More
Ivan:
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Splits flush draws between betting and checking.
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Weak flush draws: bet more often.
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They don’t win unimproved very often.
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They gain a lot from folding out better-high-card hands.
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Strong flush draws (e.g., nut hearts): check more often.
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They sometimes win at showdown even when they miss.
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They are excellent for defending vs turn bets after checking back the flop.
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So: the more showdown value a draw has, the more attractive it is as a check.
Equity Preservation and Pot Control
Brokos drives home that on these coordinated boards:
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Betting strengthens your opponent’s continuing range and inflates the pot.
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That’s great when:
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You have a big made hand,
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Or you’re drawing to a very strong hand (nut draws).
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But it’s terrible when:
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You’re holding a hand that is okay vs weak hands but crushed vs strong ones
(middle pair, bottom pair, small straight, small flush, dominated draw). -
Or your draw improves to a hand that still isn’t nutted (like a small straight on a board that smashes villain’s range).
In these cases, your priority is keeping the pot at a size where your eventual hand is still valuable. That often means:
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Checking marginal made hands that aren’t very vulnerable (big overpairs, bottom two pair),
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Checking weaker draws that don’t want to face big raises but still have decent equity.
Heuristics for Dynamic Boards When You’re the Pre-Flop Raiser
Brokos boils down the solver-style complexity into usable rules.
1. Don’t Slowplay (Usually)
On dynamic boards like 9♥ 7♦ 6♥:
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Bet your monsters rather than slowplay:
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More straights/flushes appear on later streets.
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You can’t count on still having the best hand or being paid.
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Your opponent can check-raise as a bluff now, when it’s easier for you to call.
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You’ll still have strong hands on many turns even if you never check monsters on the flop, because:
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New cards will turn some of your checks into big hands.
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2. Bet Strong but Vulnerable Hands
Hands that are:
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Ahead often,
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But hate future cards,
are prime candidates to bet: -
Top pair,
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Medium overpairs,
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Even some middle/bottom pairs with extra equity (like a pair + gutshot).
They:
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Benefit from denying equity to overcards and draws,
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Likely deteriorate on many turns,
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Want to “realize value now.”
3. Use a Variety of Bluffs
You shouldn’t only bluff with the “obvious” huge draws.
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Strong draws (nut flush draws, big combo draws) are great bluffs but:
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If they’re your only bluffs, your range is transparent when draws complete.
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Add in:
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Gutshots,
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Hands with backdoor flush/straight equity,
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Some total air that has little showdown value.
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These will become your turn/river bluffing candidates when the classic draws complete.
4. Check Some Draws (Especially Strong Ones)
To avoid being overly face-up when the flush card comes:
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Put flush draws in both betting and checking ranges.
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Strong flush draws and high-equity draws make good checks because:
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They can call turn bets comfortably,
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They sometimes win unimproved,
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They give you strong combos to continue defending your checking range.
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5. Check Marginal, Relatively Safe Hands
Hands like:
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Big overpairs on wet boards (AA on 9♥ 7♦ 6♥),
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Bottom two pair where your opponent has more nutted combos,
tend to:
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Suffer in big pots,
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Not be easily outdrawn by totally trash holdings.
These are often better checks than bets, not because you want to “trap,” but because you want pot control and equity preservation.
Test Examples: How This Applies Elsewhere
Brokos works similar logic on other boards:
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5♥ 4♦ 3♣ (low, straighty, unpaired):
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BB can have more nutty straights/sets.
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Pre-flop raiser should have a large checking range and small bet size when betting.
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Overpairs, straights, and some suited aces bet; big unpaired aces often check.
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T♥ 6♦ 6♥ (paired, fewer straights):
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Pre-flop raiser has large equity advantage.
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Can continuation bet very often for small size.
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Still wants some checks, but far fewer than on 9♥ 7♦ 6♥.
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Nutty hands (TT, strong Tx, flush draws) bet a lot; AA and small pairs are higher-frequency checks.
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Q♦ T♥ 9♦ (super dynamic, tons of draws):
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Nut draws (AK, AJ, strong diamond draws) often bet.
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Very weak draws that are nearly dead if checked (like 7♠6♠) also bluff because they have little to lose.
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Semi-nut draws with good showdown value (e.g., A♦T♦) may check more often to preserve equity and avoid brutal check-raises.
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Core Takeaways from Chapter 6
Reframing the key lessons in the chapter:
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Don’t treat all flops the same.
On heavily connected boards, the big blind’s range improves, pre-flop raiser’s auto-c-bets lose power, and checking becomes mandatory. -
Use small bets and substantial checking when you lack clear range advantage.
You’re mainly protecting vulnerable good hands and preserving equity, not blasting three streets. -
Preserve equity with marginal and non-nut draws.
Nutty hands and draws like big flush/straight draws are happy to grow the pot; weaker hands often are not. -
Distribute draws across bets and checks.
You want to be able to show up strong no matter what card hits and no matter whether you bet or checked the flop. -
Slowplay less on dynamic boards.
Let your big hands start building a pot now; future cards and your position will provide strong hands in your checking line later anyway. -
Check strong-but-not-nut hands that aren’t very vulnerable.
That’s not weakness—that’s good pot control and equity protection in a world where the big blind can credibly attack you.