How to play TPTK and when to fold.

My question is how do you guys play TPTK from any position, and when do you fold it.

Here’s my example and why I have the question.

Prior hand for informational purposes only: Player 1 takes about 25 % of my stack when he hits a 2-outer on the river. No big deal, I put my money in at the correct time so I don’t believe that I’m on a tilt.

Hand in question. I’m dealt the big slick in the BB. It’s called around to me with 3 callers. I make a 3xBB bet. Only one caller to my raise. The flop comes K52 rainbow. I bet 3xBB, and get reraised by the minimum. He knows I will call the raise, which really worries me. Should I fold here?

The other player knows me pretty well, and that, on occasion, bet after a preflop raise to try to take down the pot at that time. It’s possible that’s he is just keeping me honest, but I doubt it considering he has the shorter stack. I’m familiar with the other player as well and can pretty well narrow down his hand to one of the following: AA, KK, AK, QQ, KQs or maybe even TT. He doesn’t like to play small pocket pairs well enough to call me preflop so I'm not really worried about a lower set. After the turn comes a 9 with no real chance of a straight or a flush, I check to him with the thought of a check raise. Well, he bets about 10xBB, so what do I do here?

Like a idiot, I tell him he has AA, and then put him all-in. I probably should have just folded, but I think I might have been on a little tilt and just didn’t realize it at the time. He calls with his AA and won the hand. In 2 hands he went from short stack to chip leader, and I went from chip leader to short stack.

Please advise.

From your post, I am assuming that your example hand he had a high pocket pair (TT-KK) You had 2 pair and he hit his trips on the river. Not knowing what you 2 pair were, I can't comment on how this hand was played or bad beats.

With the hand in question. He just doubled up off of you and he still had a small stack? He played it well. Looks like you may have run into a solid player. Or a player with a good run of cards who played them well.

As for the root of the post. Remember, TPTK is only 1 pair. It's not that strong. I would only go all in with 1 pair if I were short-stacked and desperate, or if I had a very good read. Even a pocket overpair, I am hesitant to push too hard on 4th or 5th street if I don't improve it.

Every game is different and I can promise that I will go against what I say at least once per SnG. But keep it in mind. Play against your opponent and apply the pressure.

The first hand might be considered a bad beat. It was 2 over pair vs. 2 under pair, but the second hand was just a bad play on my part. Hand 2, I hand AK with a K52 flop and a 9 turn. I guess I'm just wonder how hard to push with these cards when I'm about 90% sure I have him beat unless he has AA. Do you ever count on the other player having pocket rockets? If you do, is there anything that clues you in on that?

By the way, yes I believe the guy I was playing is a good player.

TPTK is great hand and the hand that wins the majority of pots in limit and NL. First hand it a bad beat. Only thing you can do is make 1/2 pot and pot sized bets to give your opponent incorrect odds to draw out on you. If you do go AI and put him to the test on a draw and he gets lucky, that's poker. If you had your money in the pot with the best of it than you can't feel bad about it.

Second hand: the min. raise tells you nothing. So you have to reraise or call the min. raise and bet big on the turn. The board is not threatening at all only few hands that you have to fear the piss poor K2/K3 or a set. You can rerise a serious amount on the flop and find out where you stand. If your opponent is holding a big ace ie. AQ, AJ you have him dominated. Maybe hes got A2 or A3? Just too hard to tell unless you pay for the info.

How you play TPTK depends on the texture of the game. What cards are your opponents playing? Online, I see a lot of people get whipped by playing marginal hands like K9 and Q9 b/c their kicker doesn't cut it. Also if they play goofy cards like 23 they can get lucky on flops like you described above. You won't know unless you play aggressive.

To answer your original question, you have to play TPTK aggressively. Don't check raise with it. Make your opponents pay for a draw. Watch the board. Are there flush or str8 possibilities? Are they all high cards that can easily make someone 2 pair? How vulnerable is your top pair to an overpair? Raise and reraise for information. If someone really tries to blow you out of the pot, you should strongly consider folding.

Finally, it is really weak play to put an opponent on AA or the nut hand every time. Watch the cards they show down. Did they limp from early postion? Did they raise big? Are they in a lot of hands or super tight? Lots of factors to consider....i'm rambling....hope this made some sense.

That did help SteveO. Thanks!

I know this post wasn't addressed to me, but I ALSO find it helpful.
Thanks.

The only thing i find worrysome is when someone plays pocket pair and they flop trips.
I had that happen twice with someone holding pocket aces.
They would constantly call my raises, even when it was pot sized.

But in the long run, it's not much of a problem.