Top pair with overcard

[iash]

General question, without going into the details of any specific hand-

If my hand is AQo and the flop comes

Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Is it best to bet this pot or perhaps sandbag or slowplay it?

I generally tend to raise preflop with this hand in MP/LP and make a bet around the size of the pot post flop. If I make a bet like this, do i want others to fold and to take down the pot right there, or should i be hoping for callers?

I realize proper play here is situational, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

Excuse any improper hand notation, as you can see i've only been on the boards for a short while.

Thanks.

[jdl22]

Welcome to the forum.

You have what is known as Top Pair Top Kicker (TPTK). You most likely have the best hand at this point but it is fairly vulnerable despite the limited drawing potential on this particular board. Normally it is a mistake to slowplay TPTK. As for going for a check-raise it can be a good move depending on the table conditions. If the button is the type that will always bet if checked to then it's a good play to check to him, let him pet and raise the pot. If the table is passive it is usually better to bet out.

You probably want callers if you are betting/raising the pot. This is because they usually do not have odds to draw to whatever it is they are drawing to (for example someone with KQ is basically drawing to 3 outs the other kings). That is exactly why betting the pot tends to be a good move - you are shutting down their calling odds so if they do call you are making theoretical money. On the other hand there are worse things than taking down a raised pot.

On another note it can be a good move to frequently bet the pot if you raised preflop whether you hit your cards as you did here or not. There are two reasons for this: you will often take down the pot with nothing and you are more likely to get callers when you do hit your hand. Of course if you are on a bluff and get called or raised it's time to shut it down.

Hope this helps.

[Gildersneeze]

Just to add a little emphasis, always remember that if your kicker is an Ace to the top pair on the board, it's not just an overcard, it's THE overcard. A King kicker would be "just" an overcard.

Especially on what's known as a "Zero Board," where the flop is three suits, and no two pocket cards can make anyone a straight. This is the reason that it's good to either bet it out strongly, or checkraise, as jdl said. To further clarify the danger with the checkraise: with the board as heinously uncoordinated as it is, it's likely that you're the only one with a hand, period. It may check around, and the only thing that can do is give someone their winning card/drawing card for free.

Example:

You hold: AQo
Villain one holds: 89d
Villain two holds: Jd Jc
Villain three holds: A3h

Flop Q 7 2 (rainbow, same suits as your example)

Right now, you're way out in front. You check in first position, hoping to trail TPTK around to someone else. But lo and behold, it checks around behind you.

Turn: Jh

Now you're in the worst of it. Currently, Villain Two has the lead with a set of Jacks, a Ten gives Villain One the sucker straight to the Queen (which in this example's case, would be golden, unless it's the Ten of hearts), and Villain Three just picked up the draw to the nut flush.

You're still in second place, but you're drawing to two outs to beat three Jacks, those being the other Queens out there. This is all because you let a free card fall on fourth when you had what's likely the best hand.

Now granted, this won't always be the situation. For instance, say there's a complete "any two will do" sucker in the hand who stayed with 72o. He had you beat from the flop. Those are the situations where you just have to tell yourself "that's poker," and tell him "nice hand," while mentally choking his f***ing head. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

However, if you start to worry about that all the time, you'll start playing scared poker, and that's DEFINITELY no good.

All that elaboration done, I totally agree with jdl. Bet that mother unless you KNOW there's someone behind you who will do it for you (god bless those consistent positional stealers). Ross from my home game, I'm looking DEAD AT you. May you never stop betting my monsters for me.

[happyjaypee]

Hey Gildersneeze. I like your exemple why TPTK should NOT be slowplayed. However, you made one little mistake:


[ QUOTE ]
You're still in second place, but you're drawing to two outs to beat three Jacks, those being the other Queens out there. This is all because you let a free card fall on fourth when you had what's likely the best hand.


[/ QUOTE ]


He would actually be drawing dead as a Q whould give him trip Queens but Jacks full of Queens to is opponent.


-Happy [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[iash]

Thanks for the great advice. I figured raising was the correct play, but I like to hear the reasons for it.

On a similar note, one of you mentioned positional raisers, which raises (no pun intended) another quesiton.
Let's say it's the same hand i mentioned in my original post, but instead of a Q on the flop, it's a 10. Button raises a small amount compared to the pot. With two overcards, is it worth calling here, assuming he's trying to steal the pot, or would you just fold right then and there?

Thanks again.

[HajiShirazu]

If you think he's trying to steal the pot, consider making a check-raise. Calling is probably the worst play.