Holding 2 pair question

[Webster]

This seems to happen a lot and I'm unsure how to proceed.

The flop comes down and I have 2 pair. It's obvious that even IF I hit my boat it MIGHT not be top boat and I will probebly have to split the pot.

What do I do? continue calling? Is the fact that I'll be splitting the pot enough to make me fold this draw?

For instance - not the greatest example but

if there was a blank on the turn and a bet would I continue?

Party Poker (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, BB checks.

Flop: 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Do I continue this hand?

[Buzz]

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Do I continue this hand?

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Webster - Yes.

You continue because nobody has bet. You continue because it's free to continue.

But if somebody bets after this flop, then in my humble opinion you should fold a hand/flop where your only reasonable prospects for high are bottom two pair and you have no reasonable prospects for low.

If you held a different hand and flopped the top two pair on a rainbow flop, and if there were not two wheel cards on the flop, then it might be a different story.

Or if you flopped two pair with other reasonable prospects for high and/or with good prospects for low, it might be a different story.

But I don't think you should usually continue to a bet with flopped bottom two pair.

However, if nobody bets, of course you continue. Maybe nobody will bet the whole rest of the way to the showdown and your flopped bottom two pair will scoop or split by default. That does occasionally happen.

Buzz

[Webster]

Yea I added
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if there was a blank on the turn and a bet would I continue?

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as an edit. I'm always astounded when people fold to a check!

[Buzz]

[ QUOTE ]
if there was a blank on the turn and a bet would I continue?

[/ QUOTE ]

Webster - I'd say no.

I'm not sure it's right to try to take the pot when you pair your aces. You do have to be concerned about an opponent having a wheel.

I think in a nine-handed game, when you get to the river, there's a wheel possible, and you have neither one of the ranks needed for the wheel, at least one of your eight original opponents will have been dealt the necessary cards for the wheel almost three times out of five.

You can be fairly certain that if an ace-deuce, or ace-three are the needed cards, nobody will probably have folded them. Most Omaha-8 players wouldn't fold a deuce-three or ace-four either. But when you get to deuce-four and trey-four, it's just hard to say.

I know individuals who will play a starting hand with any two wheel cards, regardless of the other two cards in the hand. Heck, I know individuals who'll play worse hands than that! You're playing at a pretty low limit, so that you shouldn't expect to encounter expert play, or even particularly tight play. But you never know. When you get to the turn and a wheel is enabled, does one of these four still active opponents hold a three and a four or not? There's a pretty fair chance one does. But there's also a reasonable chance nobody does, especially considering the betting up to this point.

So, I don't know. I'd probably bet here, on the turn, after two checks. I think it's worth taking the chance that (1) nobody has the wheel, (2) they'll put you on the wheel for your bet, and (3) they'll all fold, conceding the pot to you. It's a rather small pot and those are the kind you usually can steal. And if nobody does have the wheel, I think you probably have the best hand at this point. (Obviously you'd hate to get raised here, and what to do if you did get raised, would depend on who raised).

But if the turn was not an ace, or a card that made your baby full house, then, yes, I would fold to a bet.

Just my opinion.

Buzz