Hello everyone! I'm curious to know what routes would be best when I've hit a two pair on the flop, but the flop has two suited cards. A lot of times I prefer to check on the flop to wait and see what the turn hits. Are there smarter actions to take?
bet.
you have a strong hand with 2 pair, especially if it's top 2 and even better if block a flush draw out. for example, you have kd8h on a kh 8s 2h flop.
by betting, you get value for your big hands and you force your opponent(s) to pay for their draws. are they going to hit? yes, sometimes. but that's just how the game goes, you still want to charge them because you're winning more often than they're hitting. especially if you block one of their outs, it gives them less chance to hit and you're winning more.
also, by betting, you set yourself to take your opponents chips, which is what you want to do because more chips = more value. you make more money when you have more of your opponents chips and you set yourself up to do well in mtts when you have more chips, especially if you are able to knock someone out of the mtt. by checking, you miss out on a street of betting, which is missing out on a street of value. also, by checking, it's much harder to stack off an opponent because the pot is smaller. and that's not what you want to do if stacks are short enough for you get get max value.
lets say the pot in the example hand example above is 8 bbs and effective stacks is 25 bbs. if you check the flop, villain only has to call 1 street of betting to see if they get their flush. lets say you bet 7 bbs on a blank turn and villain calls. pot is now 22 bb, with 18 bbs effective. river is a brick. you bet and villain folds. you essentially lost out on 18 bbs.
but lets say you bet the flop for 7 bbs, pot is now 22 bbs with 18 bbs effective. turn is a blank and you jam for 18 bbs. villain now has to call 18 bbs to win a pot of 40 bbs, given them improper odds to call on a flush draw and you now have a much better chance to stack your opponent because if they want to see the river, they have to call off the bet. they might still fold, but you still have the opportunity to stack them if they call, which you don't have if you check.
now, this isn't to say checking is a good. it depends on the situation. if you're against an opponent that likes to semi-bluff their draws a lot or is just really aggressive, you might opt to check and call down their bets.
but if you're checking because you'd rather see the turn to make sure you're not 'losing' a lot of money if the draw hits, well, you're still losing money when the draw doesn't hit becuase you're missing out on a street of value. with big hands, you want to go for 2-3 streets of value.
you have a strong hand with 2 pair, especially if it's top 2 and even better if block a flush draw out. for example, you have kd8h on a kh 8s 2h flop.
by betting, you get value for your big hands and you force your opponent(s) to pay for their draws. are they going to hit? yes, sometimes. but that's just how the game goes, you still want to charge them because you're winning more often than they're hitting. especially if you block one of their outs, it gives them less chance to hit and you're winning more.
also, by betting, you set yourself to take your opponents chips, which is what you want to do because more chips = more value. you make more money when you have more of your opponents chips and you set yourself up to do well in mtts when you have more chips, especially if you are able to knock someone out of the mtt. by checking, you miss out on a street of betting, which is missing out on a street of value. also, by checking, it's much harder to stack off an opponent because the pot is smaller. and that's not what you want to do if stacks are short enough for you get get max value.
lets say the pot in the example hand example above is 8 bbs and effective stacks is 25 bbs. if you check the flop, villain only has to call 1 street of betting to see if they get their flush. lets say you bet 7 bbs on a blank turn and villain calls. pot is now 22 bb, with 18 bbs effective. river is a brick. you bet and villain folds. you essentially lost out on 18 bbs.
but lets say you bet the flop for 7 bbs, pot is now 22 bbs with 18 bbs effective. turn is a blank and you jam for 18 bbs. villain now has to call 18 bbs to win a pot of 40 bbs, given them improper odds to call on a flush draw and you now have a much better chance to stack your opponent because if they want to see the river, they have to call off the bet. they might still fold, but you still have the opportunity to stack them if they call, which you don't have if you check.
now, this isn't to say checking is a good. it depends on the situation. if you're against an opponent that likes to semi-bluff their draws a lot or is just really aggressive, you might opt to check and call down their bets.
but if you're checking because you'd rather see the turn to make sure you're not 'losing' a lot of money if the draw hits, well, you're still losing money when the draw doesn't hit becuase you're missing out on a street of value. with big hands, you want to go for 2-3 streets of value.
Well it's clear that with two pairs on the flop you have a strong hand ... although there is a possibility that they will make a flush ... so I would make a strong bet trying to get value from my hand ... or depending on what type of opponent you have .... he could fold the hand and you would win in pot without taking more risks ... what I do know is that I would not check in that situation ...!
It depends on which opponents you are playing against and which two pair you have. If you have two senior pair and you are playing against adequate opponents, you definitely need to bet such a size that when counting pot odds it was not profitable for your opponents to call, and even if they call and you lose this hand, then at a distance you will plus. If your opponents do not play adequately, then it is better to check to the very river, and if the flush does not open on the river then you can bet. You always need to take into account all the nuances when you make a decision in such a situation.
I think I would play it very similar to you. The only change I might make is if I’m playing someone I am familiar with and I know the person plays loose but even then I would either check or try and push him out of the hand but that might be a bad play lol.
in this situation it is necessary to bet to defend your hand and especially not to give the possibility to your adversary to see free cards. in general I prefer to bet at least 60% of the pot against a player who has a good level of play. If I find myself against an opponent who tends to call more easily and who likes to play wide. I don't hesitate to bet the pot to gain as much value as possible, hoping that the turn or the river will be unfavorable to him.
Always bet in that kind of situation in my opinion. Because by checking you are giving a chance for other players, who may have flush draws to see the next card without paying anything. Try to push from the beginning after the flop with two-pairs, because if you check - you are not winning anything, someone may hit flush without paying anything and will bet you then and you will thinking what to do with that two pairs, which is not a bad hand in that situation.
Agree. Do not however push all in on him on flop. Make him pay incorrect odds to see turn, which would be about two thirds pot. If turn card would make his flush, check and fold to any big bet, he made it, don't pay him off for bad call on flop. Always another hand to stack him.gichka97 said:
All I can say is that you shouldn't make a big pot-sized bet. Also, don't make a check-raise. Most of the players will never fold a flush draw on the flop. I choose from two lines depending on the opponent. If it is aggressive, then check-call. If it is passive, the bet is 1/3 or 1/2 of the pot.
When you have a very strong hand like two pair, and no made straight or flush is possible, then you almost always want to bet or even raise to build up a pot and get value from worse hands. If the board then change in an unfavourable way like completing some obvious draws or putting out an overcard to the board, then you can slow down and start to check. And sometimes perhaps even check-fold, if for instance there is a 1-liner to the straight or flush.