laying down top two to a set

Ive had problems lately with laying down top two pair to possible sets (on the flop with draws on the board), espically when ive all seen people go all in with flush draws as a semi-bluff. How are some ways to tell em apart?

Its not a leak. You shouldn't be laying down top two against a player who isn't weak/tight or springing to life after being very, very passive for the past hour.

-'rilla

Unfortunately, you almost always lose some money against a set when you have a good hand. You don't have to however. Like rilla said, it's easy to sniff out a set against a tight player. If you bet 3/4 pot with top pair or top two pair and get called then he has you beat.

With a high pocket pair, or against loose players it's very tricky. In this case, a set will usually reveal itself on the turn. If you make a huge bet after a 4th street blank falls, and get called or raised then it's a red flag. You almost want the board to coordinate so that you have an excuse to fold against a hidden set held by a loose player.

Generally, a huge reraise when your holding top pair on a flop means your beat whether it's a set out there or not.

Only experience will allow you to "feel" when your beat. Sets are the most difficult hands to feel out. It's all in the betting patterns as compared to the style of player you're in hand with.

An even harder thing to do is to lay down a set to a better set.
Recent hand I hit a set of 3s and ran into calls on the flop
and turn. I stared at the board and there was 3 J 7 staring back.
I knew something was wrong as my turn bet was 10-12xBB.
Nevertheless, I pushed AI and got called by a set of 7s.

Regardless, I am never laying down a set unless there are pairs
on the board, a flush or a clear straight.

^^^

Same thing happened to me, cept I had 5s and he had pocket Js

Originally Posted by Dynamyk

^^^

Same thing happened to me, cept I had 5s and he had pocket Js

It happens to everyone. And if it just happened once in a lifetime, I'd be a much richer man.

-'rilla

Whats even harder is laying down a full house to 4 of a kind. IE you have 10-10 he has 5-5 board 10-5-5.

Originally Posted by Staple Gun

Whats even harder is laying down a full house to 4 of a kind. IE you have 10-10 he has 5-5 board 10-5-5.

if anyone seriously laid that down, they'd have to be the greatest mind reader of all time. if i have TT with that flop, im looking to slowplay to extract the most value. im not even thinking about being beat.

Originally Posted by journey075

Originally Posted by Staple Gun

Whats even harder is laying down a full house to 4 of a kind. IE you have 10-10 he has 5-5 board 10-5-5.

if anyone seriously laid that down, they'd have to be the greatest mind reader of all time. if i have TT with that flop, im looking to slowplay to extract the most value. im not even thinking about being beat.

Nah, everyone would laugh at them for being stupid. Even if they were right.

-'rilla

Originally Posted by Staple Gun

Whats even harder is laying down a full house to 4 of a kind. IE you have 10-10 he has 5-5 board 10-5-5.

If you don't get all your chips in on this flop when someone moves in on you don't belong at an NL table. And I have been one of the poor bastards who flopped the nut boat against flopped rag quads, and I gladly welcome anyone to push back at me when I'm holding the nut boat and will for the rest of my life.

Originally Posted by Staple Gun

Whats even harder is laying down a full house to 4 of a kind. IE you have 10-10 he has 5-5 board 10-5-5.

What's EVEN HARDER is laying down top 4 of a kind to a royal flush. IE you have AA he has JT of the same suit as AAKQx. Or even better a straight flush to a royal.

You know what's even harder than that? Laying down trip queens to trip kings, aces, and a straight flush when you accidentally play with pinochle cards. The easiest part is laughing at the guy holding trip jacks.