Top but small pair

[chucklhead]

Howdy,
I am having problems when I hit a top, but small, pair. Should I be betting out, check-raising, check-calling, check folding? I am almost always able to check-raise at this table. This is microlimit at planet poker

For example,
I hold K /images/graemlins/spade.gif8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif in the big blind. We see an unraised flop 7 handed. The flop comes 3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif5 /images/graemlins/club.gif8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Is this a situation where reverse implied odds make this hand unplayable.

Would where the bet came from change the play, player to left, right or accross the table from me.

For sake of discussion assume I can put the player who bets on a hand based on my knowledge of their past play, but that I have problems on putting the callers on a hand. Many will call one bet with any pair, or any draw, including one overcard, many would call with an overpair as well. Many people call the flop bet but fold on the turn.

Thanks,
Chucklhead

[Dynasty]

You should play the hand in a manner which knocks out as many people as quickly as possible. K8 will win here a significant % of the time so you should be going to a showdown a lot.

[crockpot]

your hand is definitely not unplayable. however, it is vulnerable to so many turn cards that i would play passively on the flop, root for a nice looking turn card, and go for a check raise then.

if the turn card comes bad, which will happen a lot of the time, you probably ought to fold it then.

[NoChance]

I usually bet these on the flop just so nobody gets free card. Hopefully you get one or two to fold. If no 'scary' card falls on the turn I do the same thing again.

[darryl2172]

IN THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE, MY CONCEARN WOULD BE THAT SOMEONE GOT 2 PAIR ON THE FLOP IN AN UNRAISED POT ESPECIALLY AT MICRO LIMITS PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO PLAY A 3 5 HOPING TO DRAW A STRAIGHT. AT LEAST TAHT HAS BEEN MY HAD EXPERIENCES /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Sarge85]

My plan of attack (I wonder if I'll be critized here) is to hope that the SB bets, so I can raise the hand. You could very likely have the best hand right now, and I'd want to push off Aces. Granted your playing very low limit and that probably wouldn't happen, but that's how I'd approach it.

Sarge /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[Stu Pidasso]

Turn your poor position in the big blind into an advantage. Consider checking the flop and hoping a late position player bets it so you checkraise. With this hand you want to narrow the field as quickly as possible.

Stu

[GuyOnTilt]

Everybody telling you to play the flop passively is wrong. If the SB bets the flop, you raise to limit the field. If not, then you check and raise if a bet comes from LP, again to limit the field. The only time you play this passively is if the bet comes from your left and gets a lot of callers, in which case you'd call and hope for a nice turn card.

You have to do everything you can to LIMIT THE FIELD in this case. You shouldn't worry about giving a free card. You must take the risk of it getting checked through in order to maximize your chances of winning this pot.

Betting out at this flop is DEFINITELY not the best play.

[sawil]

I agree you must play this hand agressively with top pair, strong kicker. Even raise a late pos. player to limit field. Once this is done , depending on turn, you could still be aggresive or revert to check call mode.