flopping top set or top two pair

I'm interested in knowing how you guys would handle a general situation like flopping top two pair, or top set. This happened with me on Thurs. the Tenth at the local casino, I have two raises in front of me from the big blind and I look down at rockets. I re raise naturally and both raisers call. Flop comes A92 with two clubs. I checked and someone bet 21 into a pot of 63, I min raise to 42, and all others fold including him. Any advice on how you would have handled this situation? I just hate draws with top set or top two.

I would have called their raise.

Other than the flush draw (Not that likely), u don't have a worry on that flop.

Peel off the turn. No club...check and let him bet again. I would then probably raise at this point - is he pot committed at this point?

You would have to be prepared to go all in at this point as other than clubs, there is no card on the turn that has u beat, other than a 3, 4 or 5 that seems unlikely going by betting so far - unless you have a read?

Seems the guy was wanting to know if u had an Ace on the flop. You said "yes"

I usually leadout when flopping huge. It disguises the strength of your hand and looks like a normal Cbet. If you check raise here, it looks for certain as though you've flopped big. If not leading out here, I prefer to see you check- call the flop, and leadout on turn, as opposed to check-raising the flop.

You played it like a fish with a monster, cbet that flop to atleast $40. Check min raising is one of the worst options you could take besides check folding.

well guys its not the first time that's happened where I flopped top set. The guy was not pot committed, so I felt I had to make him committed. To answer IPlay's comment about playing like a fish; usually that move works very well with the real fish. I always thought that fish were the guys who had nothing preflop who just got lucky, not the guys who improved a huge hand to start, now if I flopped Aces full, I would have called because I would know that the guy's got trips and I'd let him dig his own grave. There was one time where I Cbet, and then led out on the turn, and it worked. I guess it depends on the situation.

One more thing, Cbetting the flop with my tight profile, may appear like top top, but some guys would catch on, I prefer doing that with bottom set, or bottom boat to see where I stand.

Why worry if you have the top set or top two pair?

Those are hard to come by.

You are way ahead.

Lastly, your hand is disguised.

hffjd2000 said:

Why worry if you have the top set or top two pair?

Those are hard to come by.

You are way ahead.

Lastly, your hand is disguised.

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Agreed, statistically speaking I'd be favored, and if I'm behind I'd have outs, like if he flopped the nut straight, the board would need to pair; although in that situation sets give more outs. Oh well, since its a game of uncertainty, near certainty is as sure as one can get in the game outside of flopping the stone cold nuts. like this example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKh0_rQhCpY

Pretty big difference between top set and top 2 pair.

You can slow play top set in several situations because your opponent is unlikely to have much but generally you shouldn't slow play top 2 pair especially with connected cards. I almost always slow play a set of aces because what can my opponent really have? The only situation I won't slow play them is when I don't have the nuts.

in this situation, I would have played two top pair and a flush is only 6% chance well and see what card comes on the turn and river

Regardless of how you play it, this is going to be hard to get any value out of this hand. There is only one Ace left in the deck and that is unlikely that either villain has it. I like a lead more than a check raise, but on this board I check call because I'm not scared of anything and most of the time the villain is drawing dead.

After villain bet the flop there was no need for a check raise as the board was very dry and we do not have to worry about any draws here. You should have just called and check back the turn irrespective of the turn card. Check raising in that spot just looks super duper strong and will scare away the action.

The only time a check raise here is recommended if the board is connected and there is a flush draw on the flop. Other than that just let the villain hang himself.:tongue:

Maybe just flat calling here is better. Or raise bigger so that you can get more value.

Its a tough one for me because whichever decision you make, the opposite result will happen.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the way you played it. The two clubs would have to be worrisome. I'd rather go ahead and take down a good size pot (sounds like you got about 60 on that hand) instead of trying to slow play it and turn it into a monster pot, running the risk that he could be one of those idiots who will chase any flush draw ever.

How people are responding without knowing effective stack depth is beyond me.

That being noted....GENERALLY IF WE ARE DEEP, I am not raising here because I have the deck crippled and the lead was not strong.

steviewayne69 said:

I'm interested in knowing how you guys would handle a general situation like flopping top two pair, or top set. This happened with me on Thurs. the Tenth at the local casino, I have two raises in front of me from the big blind and I look down at rockets. I re raise naturally and both raisers call. Flop comes A92 with two clubs. I checked and someone bet 21 into a pot of 63, I min raise to 42, and all others fold including him. Any advice on how you would have handled this situation? I just hate draws with top set or top two.

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You 3bet before the flop so you had the betting lead so I probably would have led out for around ~45 on the flop and just keep barreling each street to get the maximum value.

One thing you could have done is to continue with your betting lead and bet the flop may be 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot check raise in that situation looks too powerful checking when you flop a set will reduce the amount of money that you can make in that pot and check raise will just end all the chances of you getting called unless your opponents has a bottom set or top two pair which is highly unlikely.

Sometimes its very important to understand the table dynamic .Against a nit check calling is recommended in your situation.

A very simple and easy rule : do not one-click raise. I mean 21 to 42, 51 to 102. Also, I wouldn't raised there as the board is very dry, you have absolute nuts. I would have gave him a free turn and then turning on agressive.

rytciaq said:

A very simple and easy rule : do not one-click raise. I mean 21 to 42, 51 to 102. Also, I wouldn't raised there as the board is very dry, you have absolute nuts. I would have gave him a free turn and then turning on agressive.

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No that sort of raise does work in certain scenarios.

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dealio96 said:

I usually leadout when flopping huge. It disguises the strength of your hand and looks like a normal Cbet. If you check raise here, it looks for certain as though you've flopped big. If not leading out here, I prefer to see you check- call the flop, and leadout on turn, as opposed to check-raising the flop.

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^^^ This^^^

the strongest play here would be to raise, and to raise significantly more then a minimum raise. You may not understand this but your raise allows him to play a flush draw profitably. Your essentially giving him immediate mathematical odds to see a turn card. If you really want to get tricky you can go check/call check/call and donk lead the river. Or you could check shove turn. its all about table image and discretion. However, I still stand by my belief that a min raise is really fishy and obnoxiously strong in that spot.

Karozi