TT on the button in a family pot

[Rosie5]

What is the correct play here? SO many people have limped in already that I feel as though the only shot I have to win the pot is to spike a ten on the flop or for the flop to come extremely ragged. Raising will just make it worse because none of the limpers will fold and then their draws are just getting better odds after the flop won't it?

I did spike that ten when this just played out, but I have no idea what to do when so many have entered the pot and I have a big pair. I don't think folding the 5th best hand there is an option especially in such late position although most of the times I'll just cringe at the flop and throw it away. I ended up just calling as I figured I should just see a cheap flop and hope It's good looking because lets face it, if anything above a ten flops I can't make any case for continuing

also, it turns out that the guy to my left had JJ, he raised and (surprise surprise) no one folded. Looking back had I raised he wouldve reraised and many would've folded. The flop came ragged just like he THOUGHT he hoped but unknown to him he was raising into top set

suggestions?

Also I didn't put this in small stakes because this is really just a general question, there really isn't a specific situation here. You just have a sizeable pair and many people have entered the pot already

[cheapsuit]

so far as small stakes go, the correct play in this situation is to raise. tt is a very powerful hand and is greatly underestimated. you say that raising only gives drawing hands more reason to stay in and, while this is true, it also makes you money and heres how: tt is a premium hand and the reason why you raise is not to knock people out of the pot but to get more money into the pot. your pot equity with tt is, on average, greater than that of the other players at the table. therefore, when you have your raise called you are actually making money because you have a higher percentage chance, on average, of winning the hand.

you could even reraise preflop with tt because there is a very very good chance that the raiser just put in the bet with two broadway cards (AK, AQ, KQ, etc) and you, having a pocket pair, have an innate advantage over these hands. i would not recommend capping with tt or calling 3 or 4 bets cold because in those cases you are most likely already beaten and even if you arent, chances are that between all the raisers you will be.

now, if an overcard should fall you should change your game up a little bit. but just because an overcard falls does not necessarily mean that someone has made top pair. many players straight up bluff that they have top pair (although this will probably not happen in a mulitway pot) and many many more will simply bet out on middle or bottom pair, trying to represent top pair... so there is a good chance that you still have these people beat.

the philosophy behind your betting now also changes when an overcard falls. when you raised preflop the idea was to get more money into the pot because you were entitled to more money than average when compared to other players. but now you should bet or raise to protect your hand and try to get other players (who may have better hands than you) to fold. of folding, calling/checking, and raising i would say that in this situation the worst thing you could do is call/check. folding is also pretty bad but i dont think as bad. but by raising, you are protecting your hand and getting your oppoenents to now question theyre top pair (if they even have it... you will often get the middle-pair bettors to fold right there and if not on that betting round then the next). remember that you raised pre-flop and have created an image for yourself on this hand--use that image to your advantage. it is very possible that by raising you can get someone with top pair (say queens) to fold because they may believe you are representing kings or aces.

next, even if you know you are beat at that moment you may stick with the hand anyway because you may be getting proper pot odds to fish for your third t (this is a highly unlikely situation as the pot would have to be trmendous, but it does happen occassionally).

lastly, you must always consider your position and the characteristics of the players in the pot with you. it is harder to win in early position when you fear you are behind than it is to win in late position when you think you are behind. but you also must guage the players in the pot with you. are the tight-passive? if so, you can probably fold to them confidently because they wouldnt be betting unless they had the best possible hand. are they maniacs? if so, you can bet at them and watch them call you all the way down through the river with bottom pair or high cards.

and as always, if the pot is huge you probably shouldnt fold unless you can say with 90-95% confidence that you are beat.

now, as far as NL goes TT is not that good. you should not committ to TT in NL the same way that you committ to them in low-limit. i am not an NL player yet, so ill refrain from giving any type of specific advice on that. is anyone has any pocket TT advice for NL, id like to read it.

so thats that. hope this helps. if anyone reading this has differing opinions on this, please post.

--cheap

[tripdad]

raise it up.

cheers!

[Niediam]

Raise for value because you are going to win the hand FAR more than 10% of the time. You are giving your opponents money by not raising...