Everyone knows poker is a game that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. The main reason for this dichotomy is the fact that you start out with only two cards, but then have to estimate their value combined with the flop, turn and river, where the possibilities are myriad and keep altering (see Hand combinations box, right).

That’s why playing after the flop is the key to real poker prowess and profit. So a successful player has to be confident in his reads – and know when he’s putting himself in too much danger. This type of skill doesn’t come easily, so a good place to start is to get a feel for the possibilities that lie in a given hand of poker.