Playing sets...

StraitRazor · #1 12-12-2004, 05:21 AM

This may be a broad topic, but for those who'd like to make an insightful post, I think this could be a good discussion.

I just flopped a set and lost my whole stack when an overpair hit the turn. Anyway, I slowplayed the flop when I possibly shouldn't have. The hand was

3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and I had 55. T on the turn and I push all in and get beat.

So, should I have moved in on the flop? What is generally good practice for playing sets? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

If I could play the hand again.... I think I'd have gotten broke because I'd have raised, but I don't think an overpair would fold in that spot.

play well...

mythrilfox · #2 12-12-2004, 08:08 AM

I imagine you're just bummed since you got ganked by set over set, but that situation is so rare it's almost not even worrying about - unless stacks are deep. In thousands of hands online you're going to spot that situation maybe a handful of times in a thousand, if even that much. If stacks are shallow/medium you'll get paid off there more than enough by JJ-AA to justify going to the felt.

However, you definitely don't want to slowplay that flop as a flush draw is on the board and you have a vulnerable hand. As you can see he would have called anyway and you'd have gotten more money in on the flop when you were a significant favorite.

xTopdogx · #3 12-12-2004, 08:10 AM

from the flop you just showed me, and the lack of circumstance around this (how the players are at your table, how many are in the hand, what the stacks are, etc)

Id push on that flop with a set, i dont like flush draws having any chance at my trips and if they hit they will be all in and chasing to do so [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] But like i said its according on whether or not it was heads up or 5 handed.

xTopdogx · #4 12-12-2004, 08:15 AM

dont forget that str8 draw on that flop either !! yea all in this flop, 10s will not call you if they are good, they will sniff out the trips and regretfully muck there over pair.

lapoker17 · #5 12-12-2004, 09:37 AM

Without knowing stack sizes etc, I think "all in on the flop" advice is not helpful here.

People are welcome to draw against me, but they'll have to pay. I don't try to force out draws, because in the long run, they'll miss more often then they'll hit. The strategy you need to understand is this: You need to bet enough that mathmatically your opponenet is making a poor call on whatever draw he holds. Which means, you don't have to overbet pots just because you're afraid of draws.

In this hand, he isn't even on a draw. He has a 2 outer. The way I would play this, and the way I normally see the action develop is this. I flop the set of 5s as you did. I lead with a pot sized bet. My opponenet (TT) either flat calls my bet (which worries me a little, as I'm either beat right there, or he's drawing to something), he folds, or he raises to "find out where he is", and I come over the top, and he, with just an overpair folds.

You can't be afraid to have people drawing against you (especially if you're heads up in a pot). That's where you'll make a lot of your money - When people make bad calls and miss. I'm just reeturning home from a session where I lost 2 huge pots on missed draws. I won 10 other pots with made hands, but the money I dropped on the draws left me at about even.

You want people drawing against you, just make them pay a price that gives you the long term advantage.

Hope this helps...

Louie Landale · #6 12-12-2004, 01:07 PM

First off, I'm not sure I'm right and am struggling with this issue...

If you KNOW he's got an overpair you CLEARLY want him to call; raising him out is rediculous; as is calling the PF raise if you INTEND to raise him out. You are heads up against an early raiser who bet the at a small pot. He's MUCH more likely to have an over-pair or no-pair than he is to have a flush draw. There are only 7-9 reasoanble Heart-suited raising hands and there are 30 Ts or better pairs plus 70 or so no pairs he can have.

Heads-up, raising him out is out-of-the question. You should raise enough so he'll call, hoping to do the same on the turn. IFF you figure he'll bet huge on the turn, or you know he isn't going to call any raises, then slow play.

Things are much different against a bunch of folks, or when you have no idea what he's got. Then over-raising has a lot of merrit.

- Louie

xTopdogx · #7 12-13-2004, 03:09 AM

In this particular situation all he said was there was a connect suited board, in which case, unless there is already 456 or [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Then i would push if u dont want to be outdrawn. This will always be "one of those situations" which makes poker what it is. The nut flush draw will probably call u, u stand to lose or win alot.