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This installment of flopping a set will focus on playing the small sets, 22-77, with a third of your cards on the flop.

The primary thing to remember about small sets is that they can and do get beaten.  Thus you must play them fast.   Let’s get straight to some examples:

You have 55 and limp on the button after four limpers.  SB calls, BB raises, everyone calls and seven players see the flop:

7s 8d 5c

You’ve flopped bottom set here, a great flop, but you are vulnerable in many ways, primarily straights.  If you happen to lose to a bigger set here, sevens or eights, well, you’re just going to have to lose some money.  Bet, raise, reraise, cap it, get the money in the pot now, while you’re probably ahead.

The turn shows itself and it’s the 9s.   A frenzy of betting action comes your way.  You’re obviously thinking that someone might have a straight here, but you have more than enough odds to see the river, no matter what the action.

On the river you fill up.  Early position bets and two players call.  Raise it.  Call any reraises, and consider capping it based on your reads of the players.  Someone who reraised the turn is likely to be over-valuing a straight.

Next hand you’re in the cutoff and every single person limps to you!  You look down and see 22 and call.  The button calls and so do the blinds.  Family  pot!

The flop comes down

2c Js Kd

Bottom set, great hand for you on this flop!  It’s not likely someone has a higher set as there was no preflop raise.  However, there are straight draws galore out there, so charge them to play.  An early player bets and two players call, then the player on your right raises.  You should reraise here.  Make anyone with a draw pay out the nose to see another card here.  Bad draws like Q9 won’t be getting the odds they need, and should fold, but if they call you charged them the maximum to make their mistakes.

Four players see the turn, which is the 9c.  This is not a good card because QT is a commonly played hand, and the nine would have completed the open ended straight draw.  There’s an early bet and a raise to you. Call it and all further reraises.

On the river, there’s no help, as the 3h comes.  Check, bet to you.  Call it.  You’re likely to be shown a straight here, but you won’t always, and the pot is way too big to fold!  DO NOT FOLD!!!!!!!!

Next, you’re in the SB with 33.  There are two limpers and you complete, BB checks.  Flop is 3 4 5 rainbow.  You should bet, hoping to get raised, so you can reraise.  You bet and get raised, there’s a cold call, you reraise and your opponent caps, another call and three see the turn.

The turn shows a 5d, giving you the boat.   Bet out.  given that your opponent capped it, there’s a good chance he’s got a straight, and you might get raised again, allowing you once again to reraise.  Unless the river is a five, keep betting on the river.  If a five hits, check-call.

You’ve got 77 and everyone folds to you on the button.  You raise and the SB reraises, BB cold calls, you call.  Three see a flop of

7s 6d 2s

The SB bets out and the BB calls, you raise, the SB reraises, and the big blind folds.  Here I would flat call, because it’s heads up, you have the current nuts,  and it’s very likely your opponent will bet again.  If you reraise now and he checks the turn, you’ve only extracted an extra small bet from him, but if you now wait till the turn, you’ve got a big bet from him!

The turn comes the 3d.  Your opponent bets and you raise, he folds.  You have played well, gotten the most from your opponent, and won the pot.  Be happy.  Toss your hand in face down and go to the next hand.  Don’t forget to tip the dealer now!

Just remember, small sets should be played fast.   Resist the temptation to get greedy and try to slowplay till the turn or river.  Bet and raise, reraise and cap the flop.  Never give a freebie on the turn unless the board is very scary, and almost never fold the river unless it’s painfully obvious you have zero chance of winning.

On the topic of sets, I’ve given some examples, but there are hundreds of possible scenarios, and I can’t blog them all.  You have to learn some of it by experience.  Feel free though to contact me if you have questions, or a specific scenario you’d like me to analyze for you!

PokerGuru

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