Flopping bottom 2 pair

Bottom 2 pair on the flop are both a great and dangerous hand. On one hand, it is hard to put a player on and can beat any pair. On the other hand it is very susceptible to drawing hands. Therefore, I tend to play them a bit more aggressively than trips due to their susceptibility – I generally don’t want anyone to see another card. However, people too often just refuse to give up that TP occasionally leading me to disastrous results.

For example, I recently got killed holding 9 5 os in bb. Flop is Q 9 5. I raise a bet and all our chips eventually end up in the pot. His Q 10 beats me by getting a 2 on the turn and another 2 on the river. Counterfeited by 2’s…. This is not the first time something like this has happened to me prompting my questioning of my aggressive strategy on the flop.

it happens. Its very dangerous. Running pairs really REALLY can hurt this hand. Usually, thats why you should almost always bet them out of hte pot by at LEAST the turn. You have to be agressive to do this... protect your hand by betting big. Sometimes, a checkraise on the flop is the best answer.... I flopped two pair i think 3 times last night (in a 10 hour session) and checkraised twice out of those three times. Usually, it got them out of hte pot very quickly.

happened to me at the final table of a $20 rebuy. cost me $9000 in prize money when the chipleader caught running queens to counterfit my top and middle pair.

one of the annoying aspects of this hand. You unlikely to improve and because you hold bottom pair you can be counterfeited at times.

Have to accept it's one of those things

Depending on position I play these in different ways (not necessarily the right way) but mostly I try not to shove the flop because people, as you say, hardly give up on TP. I do go for the shove on the turn when conditions are right. It doesn't work every time though. Two nights ago I got knocked out of tourney exactly this way against AA. I was in the BB, the player with AA minraises to 2 BB, button and SB both call, I have 65s with 3 players in and a small amount to call, so I call. Wish I didn't. Flop comes T-6-5, I check, raiser bets (AA), the other 2 fold and I smooth call. Turn is a Q, I plan a check/shove, and it works, he calls it and shows his aces. Turn is another T, I'm out. What can you do? At least he had a legit hand to call with. If I shove the flop I'm sure it makes no difference, I doubt he's going anywhere. Bottom 2 pair is great hand but, unfortunately, vulnerable.

another problem you run into w/ bottom two pair is drawing virtually dead against top set.