When should I protect my big pair?

Here's a hand I want to discuss as this situation comes up all the time and I want to learn how to handle it better.


Extremely loose 15-30 game that's currently 8 handed. Very loose guy limps under-the-gun, I raise in the cutoff with Q-Q. The button and a blind call.


Flop: 7-8-9 rainbow. The first limper thinks for about 2 seconds and bets. My first issue was whether to raise the flop. Perhaps this should be a no-brainer but I really wanted to see the turn card because these guys would call 2 cold with any pair or straight draw. I didn't want to put 2 bets in and have draws raising behind me because I wouldn't know where I was in the hand with these animals. I called. Both others call.


Turn: 4. Same bettor, I raise and clear everyone out and he 3bets me. Now I don't know whether I'm drawing dead but know this guy is capable of 3betting with a straight, set, 2 pair, or possibly a pair with a straight draw. I call.


River: 6. Check, check. He had 6-5 and flopped the straight. Had he bet, I would have definitely folded.


I'm not sure how to play this hand. The problem with raising the flop, I feel is that it totally puts me in a payoff position no matter what the board comes because he's so much more likely to get frisky on the flop. Had I raised the flop here, he would have certainly 3bet as he fastplays anything he gets but I wouldn't be sure where he was and would have probably paid off the whole way. However, the alternative of my putting in 3 bets on the turn drawing dead wasn't so great either. Was I correct to wait for a safe turn card to see if my hand needed protection or should I have automatically protected on the flop. I'm all ears.

A raise by you on the flop would likely chase the button and the blind opponents out of the pot and get you heads up with the loose utg. That is some protection right there. If they call two cold, I would probably be looking for a good place to release my hand since (unfortunately for you) the flop came rather co-ordinated and not a favorable one for you.


If you do succeed in geting it headsup you have to proceed with caution and use your reads of him. Is he the sort to pound the pot with say A9 or maybe KT here?Or does he have two pair or better? Since he could have anything it's tough to drop I reckon so I would probably go into check and call. If he is bluffing or betting a worst hand you gain and if he is betting a better hand you lose the least.

I wouldn't hesitate raising on the flop. You have represented a big hand by raising pre-flop and just smooth calling the flop allows the blinds a free crack at you.


If the lead bettor has you beat, his re-raise is going to tell you and give you a chance to lay it down or call him down to the river.


All in all, I think the raise on the flop gives you the best chance to maximize your gain or minimize your loss.