When Two Players Flop a Monster?

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hoachec

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Have you ever had a situation where both players hit an extremely strong hand on the flop?

I recently had a hand where I flopped two pair, but my opponent also had two pair with a higher kicker/combination.

I thought I was in a very strong spot and eventually put a lot of chips in the pot.

Unfortunately, I was already behind.

It made me think about how easy it is to overvalue two pair, especially in freerolls where players can have very unpredictable starting hands.

How do you decide whether two pair is strong enough to play for stacks?

Do you pay more attention to the exact board texture or mainly to your opponent's betting pattern?
 
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i think opponents betting pattern can give you the answer.
 
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Sometimes you just have to accept these situations especially if you're short stacked, and if your 2 pair is not the best 2 pair, as the opponent out kicked you, then this means there is a pair on the flop. So someone can have trips....

Also if they are outkicking you, then maybe you could consider tightening up your range pre flop!!
 
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hoachec said:
Have you ever had a situation where both players hit an extremely strong hand on the flop?
Click to expand...

You must be new here. ; )

This happens constantly in poker. It's called a cooler. Two players each with a very strong hand, unfortunately one of them has to lose and because both players are so strong, the pot is usually large.
 
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Yes. In an Omaha cash game specifically, I made a straight flush while my opponent had an ace-high flush. (betting pattern generally))
 
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When Two Players Flop a Monster?

This is poker and coolers happen (when 2 players flop or make a very strong hand at the same time), you don't need to adjust or overthink too much when you're on the bad side of the hand as folding in 99% of this situations is the incorrect play... this is why good mental poker game is so important nowadays as we can play so many more hands per hour/day... especially because our PCs/devices are so 'powerful' and at relatively reasonable prices, so we can open more tables at the same time, not just from 1 site, but even different sites too... this increase in volume will also inevitably make it so that this bad beats, coolers and/or some other kind of tough hands to seem to happen more often...
 
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First, accept that these will happen, and despite your best efforts you'll often be losing your stack. It's just part of the variance in the game.

Then, to reduce the frequency without also overfolding, get better at board reading and opponent reading. In the example of a passive player who only raises their ultra premiums, there'll be boards where they can't have 2p+ , and you know your own 2p is almost certainly good.
 
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I think two pair is one of those hands that can look much stronger than it really is. I don't think there is a simple rule for deciding whether it is strong enough to play for stacks. For me, the first thing I look at is the board texture. A dry board can make two pair much easier to play, but if the board is connected or there are possible flushes and straights, I become much more careful. Two pair can be a very strong hand, but it is not an unbeatable hand. I also pay a lot of attention to how my opponent is playing the hand. If they suddenly start putting a huge amount of chips in the pot, I have to ask myself what hands they could be representing. In freerolls, this can be even more complicated because players can show up with hands you would never expect. Stack size and the stage of the tournament also matter. I'm much more comfortable putting a lot of chips in with two pair when I have a big stack and the situation is favorable than when my tournament life is at risk. I think the biggest danger is looking at your own cards and forgetting to look at the whole hand. Sometimes two pair really is a monster, and sometimes it is a hand that looks great until you start thinking about what your opponent could have. So I don't think I would focus only on the board or only on the betting pattern. I would try to put everything together: the board, the action, the opponent, the stacks, the blinds and the stage of the tournament. Poker situations are rarely decided by just one factor.
 
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Sure, two pair can get you in trouble fast 😂. I usually look at the board texture first, and then the line of the opponent. If I'm on a dry board against a passive player, I'm much more inclined to build a big pot. Whereas on a connected board with plenty of draws and better two pairs, I'm much more tentative.
Especially in freerolls, I'd be looking closely at sizing and aggression, as ranges can get quite wild. Strong hand doesn't necessarily mean stack off 🃏
 
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hoachec said:
Have you ever had a situation where both players hit an extremely strong hand on the flop?

I recently had a hand where I flopped two pair, but my opponent also had two pair with a higher kicker/combination.

I thought I was in a very strong spot and eventually put a lot of chips in the pot.

Unfortunately, I was already behind.

It made me think about how easy it is to overvalue two pair, especially in freerolls where players can have very unpredictable starting hands.

How do you decide whether two pair is strong enough to play for stacks?

Do you pay more attention to the exact board texture or mainly to your opponent's betting pattern?
Click to expand...
I’d look at both, but board texture probably comes first for me. Two pair can look great until the board starts telling a different story.
 
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