BuzzKillington
Rock Star
Silver Level
I have recently been beaten by some very annoying straights and flushes, when I had a set or a two pair, and I thought I was clearly ahead. How do you defend against those draws? I feel that my current strategy of betting 1/2 pot on the flop when I have top pair and 2/3 or 3/4 of the pot when I have two pair or better, is not working. Note that I'm playing on the lowest possible stakes, so I have stopped paying too much attention to balancing my bet-sizings.
Some people say that you do not need to defend against draws and that you should only be considered with value-betting. I'm not sure if I agree with that. For example, if you are the aggressor, out of position and you flop top pair or better on a wet draw heavy board, then checking away the lead in order to check-raise is probably too risky, since the villain may choose to get a free card instead, which may complete their possible flush or straight draw with infinite to 1 odds (pot odds).
Another example: suppose you have a set on a wet board; you bet 2/3 the pot and the villain calls. The turn completes a possible flush or straight draw. Suddenly the villain donks into you by betting the full pot, obviously trying to represent the flush or straight. What do you do? Just fold? Probably, right? But the hardest part is when the villain doesn't donk into you. Do you just bet the turn? If so, how much? Are you still value-betting and just treating a completed flush or straight as a cold deck? And what if the villain calls? How do you play the river, assuming that you didn't improve your hand?
Some people say that you do not need to defend against draws and that you should only be considered with value-betting. I'm not sure if I agree with that. For example, if you are the aggressor, out of position and you flop top pair or better on a wet draw heavy board, then checking away the lead in order to check-raise is probably too risky, since the villain may choose to get a free card instead, which may complete their possible flush or straight draw with infinite to 1 odds (pot odds).
Another example: suppose you have a set on a wet board; you bet 2/3 the pot and the villain calls. The turn completes a possible flush or straight draw. Suddenly the villain donks into you by betting the full pot, obviously trying to represent the flush or straight. What do you do? Just fold? Probably, right? But the hardest part is when the villain doesn't donk into you. Do you just bet the turn? If so, how much? Are you still value-betting and just treating a completed flush or straight as a cold deck? And what if the villain calls? How do you play the river, assuming that you didn't improve your hand?