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In the rare situation where you have a monster, hope that someone either bets, orcatches a card on the turn so they can call your bet. You have an almost unbeatablehand, and the other players are going to be scared off by the flop. Your goal inthis situation should be to keep as many players around as possible, and to get asmuch money in the pot as possible.
With your biggest hands, you may want to slow play and entice someone else intobetting. But, in those rare cases when you have the best hand and other players arebetting and rising, join in and help to build the pot. After all, it is almostcertainly going to be yours. If the board later pairs, and there us any betting, youmay be facing a full house.
Two Pair
Flopping top 2 pair when you have 2 different cards in your hand, is a very stronghand. Top and bottom pair is also a very strong hand. Since you will usually beplaying premium cards, top 2 pair will often give someone else a straight draw,and/or a flush draw.
As a result, you should not slow play these hands. Your goal is to force players outof the hand, and charge those that stay. While this hand warrants raises andre-raises, lots of action could mean they have a set. If so, or a straight or flushis possible, you could be drawing to only 4 outs.
If the pot has already gotten large, you should call it down. If the pot is notlarge, or you are positive that the other player has you beaten, with 4 outs youneed pot odds of 11:1 to make the call profitable.
When you have 2 pair, and 1 is on the board, your hand is not as strong as the split2 pair. Another player may already have trips, or a higher 2 pair. If a card higherthan your pair hits the board, it could make someone a higher 2 pair. There couldalso be other draws out that may beat your 2 pair.
This is another situation to play aggressively, to chase players out, win the potimmediately, or at least make it expensive for players to draw. If you are raised,or check raised, on the turn, you may be up against trips. But, by now, the pot hasgotten big. You may want to back off and call, but you shouldn t fold unless you aresure you are beaten, or you are facing 3 bets cold.
Top Pair
Top pair, good kicker is a very strong hand. This is 1 reason to treat Big Slick,Ace and King, as a strong hand. With a flop of King, Eight, Three, and 3 differentsuits you have an excellent hand. The only card higher than the flop pairs your Ace,giving you top 2 pair. There are no flush or straight draws, so you are only worriedabout Ace, Ace, King, King, or a pair of Eights or Threes in the hole.
You have a strong hand with top pair in the hole when the flop is 3 cards lower thanyours and is un-coordinated. If you are the only one who raised with your pair ofKings before the flop, and the flop is Queen, Eight, Three, 3 different suits, youhave a very strong hand. There are no straight or flush draws, it is unlikely thatsomeone has a pair of Queens, so you are worried only about an Ace, or another Queenfalling, a pair of Eights or Threes.
With hands, and flops like this, you want to get as much money in the pot aspossible, since you are a favorite to win.
If you have Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces in the hole, and get a flop such as Eight,Nine, Ten, or 2 of 1 suit, or the board is paired, your hand is not as strong. Yourhand is vulnerable to many cards that can come on the turn or river. Now, instead ofa limited number of hands that may beat you, you may be facing a flush draw, astraight draw, or both. With a pair on board, you may be facing trips a full house,or a draw to a full house.
In these situations, you want to eliminate players, and try to win the handimmediately. If you think that someone after you will bet, you should check andraise, to face several players with calling 2 bets. If you are not sure that someoneelse will bet, you bet. You cannot afford to give players a free draw.
When you start with Ace, Queen, Ace, Jack or Ace, Ten, and pair your Queen, Jack orTen, you have a hand that is mediocre to somewhat strong, depending on the flop. Ifyour pair is the top pair on board, and the flop has no draws, you have a fairlystrong hand. But, it is vulnerable to over cards on the turn or river. Ace, Queen,with a flop of Queen , Six, two, or Ace, Jack, with a flop of Jack, Six, Two, thefurther down you go with this, the more hands that can beat you. With an Ace, Queen,and an Ace on the flop, you are beaten by someone with Ace, King. With an Ace,Queen, and a Queen on the flop, you are beaten by anybody holding a King if a Kingfalls. With Ace, Jack, and a Jack on the flop, you are beaten by any King, or queen,that pairs someone.
Once again, you want to eliminate players, or win the hand immediately. If you thinkthat someone after you will bet, check and raise. If you are not sure that someonewill bet, bet out. You cannot afford to give players a free, or cheap, draw in thissituation.
If you make top pair, such as a pair of Eights, or Sixes, with your second card whenyou have an Ace, you have one of the mice. There are many cards that can fall on theturn and river that will give one of your opponents a higher pair. In addition, ifall 3 cards on the flop are lower than a Ten you are often facing straight and/orflush draws.
Another mistake made by low limit players is to treat a pair of Aces, with a badkicker, as a strong hand. It is one of the mice. You have an Ace and Five of heartsin the blinds and get in the pot cheaply hoping for a flush draw on the flop.Instead, you pair the Ace, and there are no hearts. You have top pair, but the moreopponents you have, the more likely it is that someone has an Ace with a higherkicker.
With these hands, if someone bets, fold and save some money. You have 5 outs thatwill improve your hand, the 3 Aces, and 2 of your pair, or the 3 remaining of yourkicker, and the 2 remaining Aces. In order to call a bet in this situation, you needto be getting pot odds of at least 8.5:1. Since you could improve your hand andstill lose, you probably want odds of at least 10:1. If there are players to actafter you, you need higher odds, to make up for the times that a player to your leftraises.
With a pair of Tens or lower, you will usually only has a strong hand after the flopif you hit the third card for your set. Occasionally, the flop will all be lowerthan your pair, and be un-coordinated. Also, occasionally, you will hit a straightdraw with your pair. Most often however, you will hit a card higher than your pair,face some betting, and should fold.
If you do hit your set, you have a very strong hand. You should bet out, or raise ifsomeone else bets. In low limit games, players will often not believe you have a setif you bet, or raise, on the flop. They will expect you to slow play such a stronghand, and not raise until the turn. They will therefore often call all the way withas little as one small pair.
Second or Bottom Pair
These are more mice. In low limit games, someone who bets, normally has at least toppair. If you have 2 different cards in the hole and paired 1 of them, you have 5outs to improve, 2 more cards of the rank you paired, and 3 of your second card.With a small pair in the hole, you only have 2 outs to improve. Even if you includeimplied odds, it is unlikely that you will have the odds you need. To make mattersworse, you really need better odds to make up for the times you hit 1 of your outsand still lose. You also need higher odds from the pot if there are players still toact after you.
The only time you should call a bet with second or bottom pair is when the pot isbig, your second card is higher than any of the cards on board, and you also have abackdoor draw, 3 to a straight or flush.
