A method implemented in an ophthalmic surgical laser system that employs a resonant scanner, scan line rotator, and XY- and Z-scanners, for forming a corneal flap in a patient's eye with improved bubble management during each step of the flap creation process. A pocket cut is formed first below bed level, followed by the bed connected to the pocket cut, then by a side cut extending from the bed to the anterior corneal surface. The pocket cut includes a pocket region located below the bed level and a ramp region connecting the pocket region to the bed. The bed is formed by a hinge cut and a first ring cut at lower laser energies, followed by a bed cut and then a second ring cut, which ensures that any location in the flap bed is cut twice to minimize tissue adhesion. The side cut is formed by multiple side-cut layers at different depths which are joined together. All cuts are formed by scanning a laser scan line generated by the resonant scanner.