allaboutpoker

In this second installment of flopping a set, we’re going to look at some more examples, focusing on medium sets, about JJ-88, with a third of your cards on the flop.

You hold JJ and raise from late position, four players take the flop, which comes

Js 6d 5c

There’s a bet and a raise when it gets to you. Your choices here are to reraise or call.  I’d probably reraise, hoping the initial raiser would cap it, then bet out on the flop, giving you the chance to raise yet again.  There’s a possible straight draw out there, so slowplaying is probably the wrong play here.

On the turn the 2c hits the board.   There’s another bet to you, but the middle player just calls.  You should raise again here.  If you get reraised, and the middle player calls again, cap it.  However, if you get flat called, and the middle player now limp-reraises*, it’s likely he has a straight, so just call.

On the river, if you don’t fill up, you’re going to have to call any bets, but if there’s no bet, you should bet again.

You have 88 and call a raise from the big blind, heads up play ensues.  The flop comes

8d 3s 2c

I would bet  out, hoping to get raised, so I could reraise.  Here’s the thing.  If you try to slowplay, you’ll probably make less overall money.  Betting out here gives your opponent a chance to follow through with the obligatory raise, as expected, because he’s the preflop raiser and wants to keep the initiative on his side.  Here’s an even better reason to play it this way: he might have an overpair, in which case you’re likely to get plenty of action.  You’re hoping to raise, reraise, and cap it** on every round.

Also, if you try to slowplay, you’ll make less overall money when your opponent has a hand like AK, especially if you try to check-raise.  This is because you act first, and your opponent can easily check behind.

Regardless of what comes on the turn or river, you’re going to take this one to the end, making sure at least one bet goes into the pot on every round.  Rarely, your opponent will have an overpair and wind up catching a bigger set than you.  This happens, but remember, when the K hits the turn it’s far more likely he’s got AK than KK.  Don’t sweat the rare times that you lose here, relish the many times you will win.

You have 99 preflop.  There’s an early raise and several calls, you call on the button and six take the flop, which is

9d 8s Jd

This is a good flop, but a dangerous one too.  There are many players, lots of possible draws, and the possibility you are already beat by a straight or three jacks.  Don’t worry about the three jacks, set-over-set is rare, and when it happens, you’re just going to lose a bundle on that hand.  I’d be more worried about the straights, straight draws, and flush possibilities.

There’s a bet from the preflop raiser and several calls, you should raise.  You can’t force anyone with a decent draw to make a mistake, but you should charge them more anyway.  The raiser calls and so do three others, five see the turn.

Let’s talk about three turn possibilities.

If you fill up, don’t stop betting or raising.  Even though the draws are probably totally dead, they will still keep paying anyway, and you should charge them as much as you can!

A second (of many) possibilities is that a rather bad card for you will come on the turn.  Even if you were best on the flop, a diamond, six, seven, ten, queen, or king could mean you are now beat.  If there are four to a straight on the board, just call any bets.  Otherwise bet yourself if it’s checked to you.  If you get raised, call all bets no matter what, because you have ten outs and more than enough pot odds to call all bets.

Lastly, imagine a total blank on the turn, say the 2c.  Continue betting if checked to you.  If you get check-raised, call.

Do not fold the river unless the board is very scary and you’re facing calling two or three bets cold.  No matter what happens, do not fold the river for a single bet.  If you fill up, your play should be obvious.

Next blog we’ll talk about small sets.

PokerGuru

* we’ll discuss the limp-reraise and its implications in a future blog.

** there may not be a limit on raises if it’s heads up.  In that case, keep raising till the cows come home, because you’ve flopped the nuts (for now)

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