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View Full Version : Playing Top Pair with weak kicker from the blinds


FlyingStart
08-05-2005, 08:36 PM
0.25/0.5 NL 6 max

Small raise from MP, everyone folds. I hold K9s and call since I'm getting almost 2-1.

The flop comes K J 4 r.

What should be my line here against a player who is not too aggressive?

Bet and fold to a raise? And check down if he calls?

I went for a checkraise and he called.

I will post the rest of the hand + results after.

foldem
08-05-2005, 08:43 PM
This is a good spot for a stop and go. Check call the flop and lead the turn, folding to a raise.

NYCNative
08-05-2005, 08:43 PM
I lead that flop, fold to a raise, check-fold or check-call from then on out unless I spike my second pair.

FlyingStart
08-05-2005, 09:05 PM
Yeah.. I like both of those better than my approach. I guess I'm risking alot with nothing much to gain with a
checkraise. I really liked the stop and go since it will show less weakness than a checkraise on the flop which you follow with check on the turn and the river. With the checkraise you basically are trying to pick the pot up right there at an expensive price. I guess the checkraise is a better play when you are confident with your hand or you are pretty sure your opponenet will try to pick up the pot with a bluff

stu-unger
08-05-2005, 09:52 PM
stop and go seems like the best line here. i think i lead turn for 2/3-3/4 pot and pretty much give up from there.

08-06-2005, 06:15 AM
I'm not sure I really like the idea of stop and go because it has you putting money into the pot when you could very well be way behind. Betting out the turn is probably just going to look suspicios to your opponent and if he has A-K, he'll likely just call you down. Once he calls the turn, it will pretty tough to bet the river and then he might very well bet the river. Before it's all over you end up dumping a lot of money away on a second best hand. I also don't like the idea of c/r for the same reason that the OP has stated--you're putting a lot of money into a marginal situation. If this were a multiway pot, I'd probably check fold, but since you're heads up, I would bet out just about the pot on the flop. He could have a lot of hands that you're ahead of and that he would probably just fold to a flop bet(A-Q, A-J, Q-Q, 10-10, etc.). If you bet out the pot and he raises, fold right away. If he calls the flop, I probably check fold. He's probably setting you up for a check raise on the turn or just too weak to raise what he thinks is the best hand. In all likelyhood, he has A-K but might be concerned about you having two pair. I think betting the flop is the cheapest way to get info about his hand. Anyway you look at it, I don't want to be dropping a lot of money into this situation.

FlyingStart
08-06-2005, 07:14 AM
Turn came blank and I checked. He checked behind me. The river came another king and I thought perhaps that he had called my checkraise with something weaker than kings or maybe even Aces. So I bet about 1/3 of the pot planning to fold to a raise or maybe get some value from a weaker hand if he called. He raised me on the river, but only a small amount... which I called..
He showed down KQ and took the pot