Flopping Bottom Two Pair.

We all know that two pair is NEVER the nuts and bottom two pair is even further from a guaranteed win. I think their are two common mistakes when playing bottom two pair from what I've noticed at the NL $10 and $25 levels. Extreme over-aggression or extreme slowplaying.


People who are extremely over-aggressive with bottom two pair usually fall into two lines of thinking. One group believes they've flopped something special and should get paid-off big time. The other thinks that you need to scare out draws, overcards and top pair because 'they always draw out on you'. Mostly these people bet pot-sized or overbet the pot.

Exteme slowplayers of bottom two pair seem to think that its so unlikely that they'll lose that they often check the flop, and sometimes check call down to the river and then raise(similar to how some of them play a set).


I personally fall closer to the over aggressive crowd. Making 3/4 sized pot bets on the flop and then betting straight out to the river. I don't want to discourage callers, but don't want too many chasers with what I view as a 'vulnerable hand'. I seem to lose more money on these hands than I make often running into someone smooth calling a higher two pair or a set.

I'm curious to see how are others playing bottom two pair.

I play it aggressive just as I would TPGK. If the board counterfeits my hand, I get pissed off, curse at the guy calling me down with TPTK, type "LKd;gasdgLKG" followed by "fdhgoqrnq", and finally say "nice hand" while making a crying call or folding my "MADE" hand.

My gut feel is that bottom 2 pair is a decent hand that isn’t going to get drawn out on more than 50% of the time. I might check the flop from EP with several people in the hand but only if I expect someone to bet. If someone does bet I’ll evaluate the amount and decide on a raise or an overcall hoping for others to follow. Basically I don’t slow play it unless someone is doing all my betting for me so I can sit back. I guess that means I’ll lose (calling all the way) to any set or higher 2 pair and get paid by an aggressive TP. Hmmm…I wonder if that works out +EV in the long run?

Originally Posted by Silly String

I play it aggressive just as I would TPGK. If the board counterfeits my hand, I get pissed off, curse at the guy calling me down with TPTK, type "LKd;gasdgLKG" followed by "fdhgoqrnq", and finally say "nice hand" while making a crying call or folding my "MADE" hand.

You just reminded me that I hadn't touched upon the board counterfeiting bottom two pair in my original post. To me this seems like a laydown situation a majority of the time, as it's pretty likely you were being called down by top pair or better.

Thoughts?

play it as you would tpgk. In that case you can call the flop most times and raise the turn unless the flop is nasty and dangerous in which case its time to make the stand there.

Its a great hand heads up against the people who are either drawing or overplaying TPTK. Multi-way its a hand to not get too attached to and make the correct laydown.

For people who cannot laydown TPTK, its a great way to de-stack someone... just make sure your read is dead on if you feel their kicker just paired up (recognize betting patterns... or in a live game.. their expression... or even consider just check/check)

2 pair you are ~75% favorate over anyone with just a single pair, bet this as aggresivley as you can, especially if you have something like 83 on a K83 flop, it is very unlikley anyone has out'drawn you.

Bet this baby like its the crown jewels. Only passive players will not make profit with 2 pair