Playing a set

Lets say you are holding pp and on flop you hit your set but there are 2 suited cards on the flop. There are 4 players with you and everybody limped in.

How do you play this set? Do you check-raise and risk giving a free card to draws? Do you bet hard and drive away drawing hands and more potential money? Bet as if you have TPTK?

Same question for potential straight draw after flop.

Bet it hard, if they want to chase, then fine let them. Most of the time its a waste of their money.

Bet the pot. You could be driving away potential money by letting them get a free card and hit their flush (or straight).

Bet.

Silly hands will call. Including flush draws.

Giving a card off won't create action usually anyway.

-'rilla

I would consider making a small bet to entice a raise while also making it impossible for players to see the turn for free. If the bet is called, bet approximately the size of the pot on the turn no matter what the card is, and if the bet is raised, reraise the size of the pot. Sometimes I'll also just bet the size of the pot in this situation, but this approach almost guarantees no action.

I think the concensus here is bet hard. You want to your opponents to make a mathmatical error by paying too much for the turn. Anyone who calls your bet will miss their flush more often than not.

with 4 opponents i think you have to bet more than the pot because if 2 people call a pot sized bet, the last guy now has 4:1 odds to draw.

ChezJ

Originally Posted by ChezJ

with 4 opponents i think you have to bet more than the pot because if 2 people call a pot sized bet, the last guy now has 4:1 odds to draw.

ChezJ

But it's fairly rare (except in tiny stakes or very very very loose tournaments) that 2 of 3 people will call before it gets to the last guy.

Really, if you have enough callers, almost anything can become an-odds worthy call for the last player to act. Usually you don't get that many though.

- Jeffrey

I agree that a free card doesn't give any more action; actually, in the case of flush chasers, I think it gives less.

A flush chaser will usually call a pot-sized bet on the flop, and then most bets on the turn. However, if you give him a free turn card, and it's a blank, he's not likely to call a turn bet (in my opinion/experience).

Not to mention TPTK/overpair is usually going to raise you, and all sorts of other hands are going to call the bet.

Sejje, you want a flush chaser to call pot-sized bets on the flop and the turn. They're going to miss 65% and 80% of the time, meaning that you make that much profit from the times you bet and they call. People calling with bad odds is where you can make a huge part of your profit! You're losing out if you check this. By a lot.

Hell, if you can guarrantee they call, bet the pot on the flop and if the draw doesn't complete, push on the turn. You want them in for as much as you can get them to pay at this point.

- Jeffrey

I agree with Jeff. The best is trying to determine a nice amount that will make flush drawers writhe in agony while pondering that call. Ideally, you would like just beyond value, so they have to accept the fact that to make this call that is just a bit beyond value, they're making a decision that favors you. Anyone with TPTK or 2-pair will call instantly, and you want that action since they have so few outs for hitting their set or full house.

This is a good situation where lesser players will likely give you tells about their hand. If they spend time pondering this call and re-checking their cards and the board, then you know for certain you have them on a draw and if you see that third spade hit on the turn, it is time to lay that set down. Same thing goes for Mr. TPTK/2-pair. If he makes his call very quickly, you can probably assume that he thinks his hand is good. Look out for any re-raises from him in the future.

I overbet the pot everytime...watch that flush draw call and hang on to your chair while your heart pounds praying for cards that dont have suits to fall. I personally love that rare ocasion when an 8 blank falls.

Originally Posted by poskid_1982

I overbet the pot everytime...watch that flush draw call and hang on to your chair while your heart pounds praying for cards that dont have suits to fall. I personally love that rare ocasion when an 8 blank falls.

Or when the card that completes the fish's flush also happens to pair the board

In early position, someone's should have top pair (assuming there is at least one overcard to your set) or will represent top pair. I check, hope he bets, then I reraise.

In late position, it's an easy proposition; bet. Bet hard.

if i feel the people i'm in with are skittish, i'd bet very small, maybe even check. true you can't get money from the unwilling, but I look at it as i'm taking a loss x% of the time, for a chance of multiplying the amount I win when i do win by y. If there are three people in, the odds of one of them making two pair or at least having a solid top pair are high. IMO giving a card or two to people who would have otherwise folded increases your profit when you do win enough to make up for the times you have to fold.