Heads Up - Big Pair

[slider77]

This happend twice tonight.....

I get a big pair - another player gets a big pair (or AK).

Then, a nothing flop.

A nothing turn.

A nothing river.

What's the best strategy - call all the way if you don't know what kind of pair the player might have? Or say if you have KK - know there is more hands you beat than not and raise?

If there is a nothing flop, turn and river then the last 3 rounds would almost become a continuation of the raising and re-raising PF.

[huzitup2]

This situation is addressed in great detail in HPFAP.

If you play your hand very aggressively you will either -

1. Lose more when you lose, or . . .

2. Win less when you win.

*

Never play any situation the same way every time, but . . .

This is one of the few situations in holdem when "check and call poker" is actually GOOD poker.

- H

[huzitup2]

Q-Q (and to a very small extent to K-K).

*

With A-A you should raise at least once - the turn is usually the best choice.

1. If you raise the flop, a good player may muck A-K; a VERY good player might even release Q-Q, J-J or T-T; "he'll" probably call your flop raise but will very likely release his hand on the turn unless he improves.

2. If you wait 'till the river to raise you will very seldom get a call from A-K, and you might not get called by that "good player" with J-J; even Q-Q might muck since "HE knows that YOU know that HE has a good hand" yet you're still raising.

If I get raised on the river by a player who knows I like my hand, I can (and have) mucked J-J; I will call a little more often with Q-Q but I am capable of mucking this hand as well.

- H

[slider77]

I had QQ (vs AK) and KK (vs TT).

I had position and called every time. If had AA, I think I would call all the way and raise the river to max out the pot.

I would just be wary of folding a big pair because of the precedent it might set that would encourage bluffing.

[huzitup2]

JJ or TT, you don't really have to worry about the precedent.

Just type in [the chat box] "f--k, I can never win with AK".

They WILL believe you; more importantly, most of these players have the memory span of a gnat.

- My appologies if that came off as obnoxious, but hyperbole usually does a good job of driving the point home.

Best wishes,

- H