Top pair vs set

#1 June 22nd, 2013, 5:11 PM

I was wondering if there are any warning signs my over pair might be up against a set and not some fish spazzing off with tp?
Ran into this situation last night in sng. Something was telling me to fold, the check on the flop but pot bet on the turn seemed a little strange, but just like a fish, i paid him off. Any suggestions on recognizing sets?

For the hero who flops a set, is there a way to disguise them? What is most optimum way to play them?

#2 June 23rd, 2013, 4:19 AM

It's super situational. Assuming you have no reads on your opponent and it's a regular low-stakes tourney, you're probably getting stacked with TPTK by a set on a non-dangerous board/fop. If you're super deep maybe not.

#3 June 23rd, 2013, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by groggy44

I was wondering if there are any warning signs my over pair might be up against a set and not some fish spazzing off with tp?
Ran into this situation last night in sng. Something was telling me to fold, the check on the flop but pot bet on the turn seemed a little strange, but just like a fish, i paid him off. Any suggestions on recognizing sets?

For the hero who flops a set, is there a way to disguise them? What is most optimum way to play them?

This is why poker is one of the best games. There are many things we have to analyze to find out what the villain got. Its very hard to fold an overpair but we have to sometimes (eg because of final table IMC effect, villain image, multiway pot etc...). But usually we cant, especially if the villain is a bluffy one or loose player.
Set simply cannot be recognized.

#4 June 23rd, 2013, 11:08 AM

I was in a situation 2 nights ago in a tournament I don't remember stack sizes or even the blinds but Villain raised min from early position I re-raised a decent but not huge amount with AK suited flop comes K-T-3 he checks I bet 2/3 pot which leaves me about half my chips left he re raised shoved...

I put him on a set of Tens right away thinking what else is he check shoving here but I called telling myself if he hit the set he's got me...

Well, he got me he did have a set of Tens.

It's a spot I could of folded but I don't know if I should fold I tried to justify my call to myself before the call basically by saying if you got lucky enough to flop a set while I have Top pair- Top kicker you got it..

I don't know if it was the right play its a spot where I felt it but didn't get away.

So I guess to know if they have a set you kinda gotta think all of their actions through the board texture and everything else but sometimes I guess you gotta pay em off

PS (Should I have folded my AK?)

#5 June 23rd, 2013, 5:06 PM

That hurts.. I was just now eliminated from a Sit & Go... He was going all in with 7 K , 10 Q etc. and I thought he was bluffing but no..

#6 June 26th, 2013, 3:11 AM

Well first rule of advice is to trust your initial instinct, it's usually right most of the time. The brain is powerful learn to trust it.

Tough to fold a big pair or big tptk vs a set. Red flags include unconnected, rainbow flops. Did the player limp, which is usually the case for small pairs. This is where we need to know our opponents though, will some raise with small pairs? Paying attention comes in handy when you can see how an opponent plays a set maybe not vs you, but someone else. Use your notes, they work.

#7 June 29th, 2013, 12:48 AM

I didnt like to play a big pot with top pair.So set ? its not a problem .

#8 June 29th, 2013, 1:16 AM

Basically evaluate what kind of opponent we're up against and what kind of hands he can have. If he's a bad LAG he'll probably be playing too many hands far too aggressively and when he bets post-flop he usually has nothing, or is betting a bad hand for "value." A passive fish will usually only bet if he hits something very very good, so if he bets basically assume you're beat and fold.

For this particular situation it's important to know whether he's in position or out. If he checked back flop and bet he probably hit something good, or if he's a good player might just be fishing for a fold because you demonstrated weakness on two streets. If he checked flop first to act though, he might have been looking to check-raise so that he had something on the flop.

Originally Posted by ChipEaterMan

Top pair is a loser, continue betting with set or better

nit

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Top pair vs set

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