Four of a Kind on the Flop

[koy4714]

Should I have played this different....????

Middle position.
Medium stack.
Dealt pocket 7's.
One caller in front.
I call BB.
Three callers behind.

6 players see the flop. (BB, 4 callers, and me. It's early in the tournament.)

Flop comes out 77A.
It's checked to me.

This is where my head starts to hurt.

I'm thinking that the chances of being beat on this hand is extremely small, if not impossible. I decide to check in the hope that someone catches something. The A on the flop makes me at least a bit hopeful.

Everyone checks.
Turn is a 4. (Rainbow.)
It's checked to me.
Again, I decide to check hoping that someone will catch something. Anything.

River is a 3. (No flush possiblities.)
Checked to me again.
I decide to lay a small bet, hoping that I can at least get something for this Boss hand.
Nothing.
Everyone folds.
I defiantely did not get value for my hand and I was left scratching my head. What could I have done to get maximum value for my hand?

1. Go all-in after the flop. (Someone may have called if they had an A....)
2. Bet small after the flop and/or river. (Gotten some callers......)
3. ?????

I thought that checking would give people the chance to catch and I would then call or raise any bet that they made.

Thoughts.....

 

[rascal]

Well played... You had no bait for other players to bet at. It's poker for ya, pre flop raise would of helped here. Would of been a bigger pot.

 

[woodsy44]

If i have a good hand like you did koy, i would bet the minimum amount hoping the other players will call as the bet is so small. If someone raised me a tiny amount, i might see it in hope of my card coming out.
Unlucky by the way

 

[diabloblanco]

Sounds like you did all you could to extract the max number of chips from the table. Only thing you could have done different was a nice little raise before the flop in hopes of a set. If no set on the flop you could have folded it against any bet. If there was a pocket pair at a the table, chances are just below 50/50 that it would have been higher than your sevens. You would have gotten called pre-flop on a small bet and had a little bigger pot. The two sevens on the board probably scared off any small pair or overcards. Unfortunately, you just caught a really big hand that didn't really hit anyone else at the table which kept you from getting paid off. It sucks, but it happens.

 

[Four Dogs]

Small bets the whole way, if they're chasing you want to give 'em great pot odds to call. Hell, even someone with a king in the hole might call a minimum bet if they think a high card could take the pot. Too bad you weren't playing me. I'll often take a cheap stab at those flops.

 

[buckster436]

you played it rite i flopped four sixes once, pocket 66s and the flop came 667 i did basically what you did and after the river i bet 100 and 1 guy called,not much of a pot for getting 4 of a kind, thats when u wish they catch something but it happens>>>buckster436:icon_shak

 

[BuffClemins]

well played, nice decision not to raise preflop with a caller in front of you and 3 ppl still behind you. you played it correctly but in the early stage of a tourney when the blinds are super low most people arent gonna fold to a small bet. you should have made a small bet after the flop and say you got one caller. AFter fourth street check making it sound like you missed your hand or you were on a bluff, then maybe they would make a large bet and try to steal the pot
and then you can call

 

[Zypher22]

I had a "similar" hand once:

On the first hand of a Freeroll tourney I was dealt pocket AA. I was on the button and made a small raise had 4 callers. The flop comes A8A, as I'm thinking about how I can extract the most chips for this hand the strangest thing happens. The first person to act goes all in, the next person folds and the next person calls all in, the other preflop caller folds, so now its to me and of course I called, and of course the other 2 were drawing dead. Not bad to triple up on the first hand of a tourney.

 

[bubbasbestbabe]

Small bets all the way baby. Your getting some value for your hand and at end if no one raises you on the trip double the bet. At least you are getting value then.

 

[H8POKER]

I would have done small bets, probally the min, atlest there would have been alittle bit of chips going in the pot and hopfully they stick around with the pot odds being ok, but really if you were them and you didnt have a 7 or A would want to stick around?

 

[Devilpoker78]

They seem to be so wise when you have the nuts and is silently begging them to bet and they all fold and when you do want them to fold they dont ever seem to want to leave its like a huge conspiracy.

 

[Poker Player 100]

I would go allin on the flop but. there isnt enuf money in the pot. so.

I would lay out very small minumum raises. Then just hope that someone raises you.( a big raise) then i would go all-in.

But sometimes ure at a table where noone got a good hand and you did.
therefore they folded( i find it rare)


I guess u did Aight

 

[mikester47]

You played it completely correctly post-flop, however I would have at least thrown out the minimum raise pre flop. Pocket 7s are a strong hand.

 

[JonSherwood]

Sometimes that happens with quads. Optimally you'll hope there's a flush draw out there someone's chasing, and it's even better when it hits. I've only hit quads twice since I started at Empire, but both times there's been a flush draw and I've ended up with a nice payout. You did the best you could. Sometimes nobody hits their hand and if you're at a tight table you won't get any action unless someone does. Usually there's someone willing to try and steal the pot. You can always try and play them.

Jon

 

[speedyvolvo]

4 oak

Tough luck man, i have caught 4 of a kind and made little or no money, sometimes u just have bad luck. Next time raise before the flop!!

 

[Crippler450]

You played it right. Small bets all the way would have kicked out all or all but one of the players. Obviously nobody had an A or they woulda called a small bet on the river. You played it perfectly, you just got unlucky and nobody had any hand at all...at least you let them have a chance at catching something, whereas small bets all the way would have certainly made them all fold at the start.

 

[RammerJammer]

One of the unluckiest things that can happen in hold 'em is catching a great hand when no one else is holding a thing, and no one makes a hand during the ensuing slowplay. All you can do is throw out some bait and hope someone takes it. I disagree with checking all the way to the river, regardless. If all you're going to win is the blinds, go ahead and take them after the turn, at least. I've watched other players time and time again check out of the hand and turn over top pair, or a set, because they thought if they bet, everyone would fold. Why would they ever make that assumption? The goal on every hand is to win it, and to take as much money as possible in the process. Checking all the way out is just guaranteeing a minimum return.

 

[MicheleW]

I just has a pair of 4's in my hand and it flopped 44K - so I check, let others come in and bet, then checked on the turn - 8, let others come in and bet, and then I raised as well, they called, then the river came and they bet again - Q, then I raised but they finally got the idea! LOL ... both folded but I came away with a huge pot. It was so much fun. Don't cha love those 4 of a kind.

 

[HoldemChamp]

It is tough when that happens. Even worse when you have one card in your hand and 3 more of them show up on the flop. At that point the deck is pretty much crippled and you might your chances of getting any more money from the part are very small.

You might have had a chance to make some money.

Here is how I might play it if I my tables read is that someone is out there that might try to steal the pot.

I would not be raising the pot with 77 in middle position. Not with so many people still needing to act.

Ok. The flop is A77. Checking here gives you 2 things. One. If there is someone out there with an A they will bet out and you can just call. Since no one bet out. They are either trying to slow play there A or maybe no one has one.

Now the turn is a 3. Here is where you can make a bet. Again you need to have a good read on the table as to what kind of bet you can make. If it is tight you might want to make a min bet here. Maybe everyone folds here. Maybe you get someone to stay. If it is a more agressive table you might bet a bit more to get the chasers and bluffers something to work with. Maybe just a little less to give someone the impression that you like your hand but are unsure of what to bet here because of the possible draw. Here is where you need to make another decision. Do you bet a little over the what is necessary to make people think you are wanting to chase out the the draws. Or a little bit less displaying possible ignorance about what to bet. Or course it could be read the other way around. If no one calls oh well. At least you gave it a try. If someone raises. Just call there. You are trying to lay a trap for them.

Ok the river is a 3. Now you are at a critical stage. If all you got were calls at that point you might as well bet out here. Nothing big. You are hoping to at least one caller.

If someone raised it is even trickier. If you check here. You might get a bet out of the guy that raised. But, you really can't be sure you will.

So, much about playing poker is paying attention to the other players at the table. Sizing them up and getting a read on what they will do.

It the raiser has many times in the past bet on the river after raising the turn. Then it should be a pretty safe thing for you to check and hope to get one bet out of him.

If he usually checks after betting the turn it is probably best to bet out small and hope he calls to see what you have.

 

[ljcaldwe]

You might want to try raising with the pocket sevens because it is a pretty good hand to start off with. Knock out any crap hands from the other five calls at the table.

 

[robwhufc]

Only thing u could have done was raise pre-flop, which would have implied to a caller that you had an ace and not 77. Then of course you would have got rubbish on flop so would have folded, so???? It always seems to happen that u get rubbish for ages, and as soon as u get big pair, everyone folds round to u!

 

[colin_147]

Yeah, shame that. I think its coincidence but you're right, it does seem to happen that even a small raise with 4-of-a-kind, everyone folds!

I just check through to the river, especially if there are plenty of people in the hand. Some maniac or bluffer will make a bet at some stage to take down the pot

 

[takua]

I agree with most people here that slowplaying a monster is always the best way to go. Usually though if nobody bets the flop you should bet the turn. When you make your bet, try as hard as you can to make it look like you are trying to buy the pot. This might help you get some action even if nobody made a hand.

 

[RammerJammer]

Even worse when you have one card in your hand and 3 more of them show up on the flop. At that point the deck is pretty much crippled and you might your chances of getting any more money from the part are very small.

Gotta disagree with you a bit on this one, Champ. The chances that someone is going to be holding a pair in the hole or make a pair on the turn/river are pretty good. There aren't many folks playing online poker who can lay down a full house. If they're holding a big pair (A's or K's), darn near impossible. I think your prospects for dragging a big pot here are excellent IF you slow play the turn and don't jump on those quads straightaway.

 

[buckster436]

yesterday at jetsetpoker i got pocket 4s on the very first hand and the flop came 4 4 2 so i checked,and everybody did to,then came the turn,i checked again and everybody else did again,then the river, so i bet $ 100. and everybody folded, so i made 30 bucks not a good payoff four quads huh. lol>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> buckster436:vroam: