Making smart reads after flop a key to success

One of the things that separates great players from average players, or even good ones, is the ability to play after the flop.

Pros believe they can take a chunk of their less skilled opponents’ chips based on their ability to read the texture of the board and bet it accordingly, whether it’s limit or no-limit hold ’ em, cash games or tournaments.

Even if they are playing 2-4 offsuit. No lie. That’s the hand that aggressive pro Chip Jett showed down during a limit hold ’ em event during the 2005 World Series of Poker at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. From under the gun, no less.

‘‘I’d been playing to see about 95 percent of the flops,’’ Jett said. ‘‘Somebody raised me, it was three-handed, and I called.’’

The flop came 2-4- jack. Jett bet out with bottom two. The two other players called.

‘‘Obviously,’’ Jett said, ‘‘I’m praying a jack doesn’t come off on the turn.’’

The turn came an 8 of spades, eliminating flush draws. Jett bet out again. Both opponents called. The river came a king. Jett bet out again.

One player raised. The other opponent called.

‘‘I just called because it looks like it could be pocket kings or K-J,’’ Jett said.

‘‘One guy had K-Q. They were playing bad against me. I mean, I’m playing bad. I’m playing bad cards, but he called me with K-Q. He was drawing dead, and luckily for me, he got there.’’

But playing 2-4 offsuit from early position?

‘‘I play almost every hand from every position,’’ Jett said. ‘‘In limit hold ’ em, I feel I play better than most people after the flop.’’

Jett said he knew his hand was good on the turn based on his opponent’s betting patterns.

‘‘The bad thing about playing deuce- four when the flop comes J-deuce- four and an eight comes on the turn . . . now if a jack or eight comes on the river, you’re dead,’’ Jett cautioned.

‘‘Your hand is completely counterfeited. You can’t possibly win. Any pocket pair beats you, or a jack or an eight. What you have to avoid is the board pairing. As long as you’re aware of that going in, you’re OK. I was under $1,000 and over $10,000 four different times that day.’’

But understand that this is strictly a limit hold ’ em play, not something you can usually pull off in no-limit.

‘‘I lost a lot of big pots that day in limit hold ’ em,’’ Jett said. ‘‘In no-limit, if you lose one big pot, you’re gone. In limit, mistakes don’t kill you.’’ Steve Rosenbloom is a sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Contact him at srosenbloom@tribune.com.