pocket sevens

[jstnrgrs]

Paradise .5/1
I'm in MP with 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif
Folded to me, I raise, Button and BB call
FLOP:
A /images/graemlins/heart.gif 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
check around
TURN:
K /images/graemlins/club.gif
Checked to the BB who bets, BB calls, I fold.

coments are appreciated.

[Max Weinberg]

I tend to bet in those spots on the flop as the last money I put in the pot. I won't call a bet, but I'll throw one out there because I was a pre-flop raiser and of course I had AK.

[spamuell]

Why raise with pocket 7s if you're just going to fold when overcards hit?

I don't know about paradise but on pacific the .5/1 tables are very loose passive, and it is much more profitable to limp with small pocket pairs and ram and jam if you flop a set, while folding if you miss.

Raising with 77 and then folding to overcards just seems like a way of wasting a SB. If you have to play it this way, bet the flop because then if someone has 88-KK they could easily fold to the ace on board bet by the PF raiser, and if they raise you pretty much know where you stand. If you're called it's a bit tricky, I'd probably bet the turn and give up on the river if called on the turn, but I'd avoid the situation in the first place by not raising pre-flop on this type of table with 77.

[lil']

You might have won this hand with a bet on the flop. One of the benefits of a pre-flop raise is that you might win the pot with a bet on the flop, even when you don't improve. You have a ragged, uncoordinated flop with a scare card on it with a small number of opponents, but you didn't bet it.

You are going to see an overcard the vast majority of the time in these situations. That doesn't mean someone has the exact overcard that appears.

[chesspain]

I agree with everything already stated. Indeed, I think that raising PF with 77 from MP is a tad too risky for my taste, since you have no way of knowing if you might be reraised and subsequently isolated by a bigger pair.

But once the flop comes up rags and is checked to you, you need to BET!. I'ld say that more than half the the time you'll be able to take the pot right there.

[hockey1]

I'd have just limped, but if I'd raised I would have bet the flop.

[34TheTruth34]

As most of the other posters have already said, you should be betting the flop here. Checking and folding is your second best option, but clearly an inferior one. At least you didn't check and call, though. Reminds me of a Party hand I played one time:

I was in late position with 99 and there were 3 or 4 callers. I inteneded to call, but accidentally raised instead. I guess when your playing 3 tables, posting 2+2, following the Sox game online, and downloading porn all at once, you can get a little confused. At any rate, they all called along with the BB and we saw a flop of A-K-3. They all checked to me, now what? I decided to continue the 'bluff' and bet (if the situation ever comes up again, I'll probably let discression be the better part of valor and check-fold unless I spike a 9 on the turn). They all folded! Just goes to show you that when you bet the flop, anything can happen. You can't win by checking (unless you hit your two-outer on the turn). Live and learn, I guess...

[jstnrgrs]

In middle position, with no one in in front of me, I decided to raise on the chance that I might be able to steel the blinds right there. When an ace hit on the flop, I figured "What was the button calling with?", so I didn't bet.
I see what everyone is saying about betting on the flop, and when this situation comes up again, that is what I will do.
I don't however see the point in just limping before the flop. With so feww callers, I do not have the odds(implied or otherwise) to flop a set, so why let the BB see the flop for free. How can I pass up this opportunity to steel the bilnds?

[brian0729]

First in from MP I like the raise, but yes bet the flop

[revoohc]

You should have just called on the flop. By raising with a weak pocket pair, you probably cut out several bets that could have been added to the pot. Normally, you would only try to steal the blinds from the button or co positions (maybe lmp).

Anyway, once you got to the flop you should have started off by betting as everyone has said. If you get a raise, you muck.

revoohc