Choosing to play a starting hand is the biggest decision you will make while playing Texas Hold'em. Deciding whether to continue playing after seeing the flop will be your second biggest decision. It can also be one of the most costly decisions if you continue after the flop with an inferior hand. It is said that the flop defines your hand. That is because after the flop your hand will be 71 percent complete. Where does this figure come from? Assuming you play your hand out to the end, it will consist of seven cards. After the flop you have seen five cards or 5 / 7 of the final hand, which is equal to 71 percent. With this much of your hand complete you should have enough information to determine whether to continue.

Deciding to continue playing after the flop is not as easy as choosing a starting hand. There are only 169 two-card combinations for starting hands, but there are 19,600 three-card combinations that can appear on the flop. Combine this with the two cards in your hand and there are 2,598,960 five-card combinations that can be made. After waiting patiently for the correct starting hand, the sad reality is that most of the time you won't like the flop.
Poker writer Shane Smith coined the phrase, "Fit or Fold." You will want to use this criterion when deciding to continue playing the hand. If the flop fits your hand, you will continue playing it. If the flop does not fit your hand, you must fold. The flop can fit your hand three different ways.

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