Scare Cards and Fishing

The flop shows a pair. Or a possible flush (pf) shows up at the turn. Someone bets a significant amount.

Unless you have the hole card that makes trips, or hole cards (plural) that make a flush, you have to fold.

Why? Poker is essentially about taking your winnings when you can, but mostly, avoiding losses.

So frequently, the first person to raise big after scare cards appear whether they made the trips or flush or not gets all the other players to fold.

Some exceptions.

Players too dumb to recognize the scare cards and the threat they pose.
A player with a hand that can, or possibly can beat the scare cards - who'll take that risk.
A player who believes the person playing off the scare cards is bluffing.
A person whose hand the scare cards actually gives the trips or flush to.

Let's call it "fishing."

Like other bluffs, fishing works better against fewer opponents than against more.

It doesn't work very well at all if you try it too often.

Getting caught at it, as always, can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It makes other players more likely to call you when you really have the winning hand.