How to play top pair on the flop with the other 2 card pairing.

[Shanetherocker]

When playing online at full tilt, I often encounter the following situation. I raise with 2 high cards such as AK, AQ. One person calls, and the flop comes something like A99, with me having top pair and the board pairing. I lose so much on these pots because it seems like the other player always has trips. For example, I was playing today and someone minraised preflop, so I reraised with AQ suited. He called and the flop came Q88. He came out with a raise. Since he was a very aggressive player, I reraised. He went all in. I called, and he had 98 offsuit. I just didnt think he had an 8 there after calling my reraise and betting the flop. I can usually get away from it if the two pairing cards are high, but when they are low, its hard to put anyone on trips. Does anyone have any tips to share on how to play these hands properly and be able to get away from the hand if you're beat?

 

[KyleJRM]

When playing online at full tilt, I often encounter the following situation. I raise with 2 high cards such as AK, AQ. One person calls, and the flop comes something like A99, with me having top pair and the board pairing. I lose so much on these pots because it seems like the other player always has trips. For example, I was playing today and someone minraised preflop, so I reraised with AQ suited. He called and the flop came Q88. He came out with a raise. Since he was a very aggressive player, I reraised. He went all in. I called, and he had 98 offsuit. I just didnt think he had an 8 there after calling my reraise and betting the flop. I can usually get away from it if the two pairing cards are high, but when they are low, its hard to put anyone on trips. Does anyone have any tips to share on how to play these hands properly and be able to get away from the hand if you're beat?

Don't reraise and don't call the all-in.

It's really that simple

 

[c9h13no3]

https://www.cardschat.com/f49/wa-wb-concept-76525/

And why are you raising his flop bet if he's an aggressive player. If he's bluffing, your raise will just shut him down. If he's got trips, he's coming over the top and putting you in a terrible spot.

This is another classic WA/WB situation unless the flop is like JTT with a flush draw.

 

[mundybags1]

well one thing that i like to keep in mind when i am playing. you have to watch who you are playing against. you will find these agressive players looking for this exact situation because they know that you will go all in with that hand. don't over play hands like this in a cash game. you should play hands with paired or flush or str8 draws carefully untill the river. there are alot of people that will call all in on the flop and turn on just a draw so it is more difficult. I have learned to play hands like this more often because they are easier to get away from on the flop if you miss and easy to make money if you hit.

 

[Iron Mic Titan]

Best bet is to either check to Villain and see what he comes out with, or probe bet with about a 1/3 of the pot... If he is a maniac type of player, these are the spots where they're looking to get paid off handsomely if they did hit the trips, so usually they'll shove all in on either the flop or the turn. If you've committed about 1/10th of your chips to this pot, you can still get away from this relatively unscathed... and that is something you should be paying attention to pre-flop, that you haven't overcommitted yourself to a possible trap.

On the other hand, if you have a really good read on him (which is still difficult for the ultra-LAGs, as the really skilled ones know how to keep both their bluff and monster betting patterns the same), then a 3-bet on the flop is called for. But it woudn't be the most ideal spot to pick off a bluff, especially because LAGs have a wide range, and they could be re-raising pre-flop against one or 2 opponents with any suited connectors, Ace-rag, medium/low pair, etc.