Poker questions in cash games?

Question

I have been faced with this situation many times, and I still don't know what is the best move. I am in EP or UTG with AA/KK with x100 BB stack, and I raised BBx5-6, and I have 2 callers (good players with big stack) behind. Flop is scary (ex, JT9, or QQJ), but I still have the top pair. What is the best approch from this point, especially if I am facing a real big bet on the turn?

1. Bet big and fold to a re-raise?

2. Check and call a bet, but fold to a second bet on the turn?

3. Small bets but fold with a large re-raise?

Remember too, the callers behind me are good players with position. They will bluff using the position if they sense weakness. But if I put in big bets to test the water, I maybe pot committed and loose big? Any suggestions?

2.

Answer 1

Tought question, but i would look at the odds, how much you have to bet and what you gain.

You have a pretty good hand there, and a chance to get full house. Someone else could also have four of a kind.

Look, if it is worth the bet, you should bet because you have a good hand, but are you comitted enough to go the distance. If you don't trust the cards, don't play them.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

play cautiously and rely on your reads.

what usually happens in these situations for me is that i'll bet and their reaction to my bet will tell me what their hand is.

from "good" players, you get one of three reactions to a bet with this flop:

1. Fold: they got nothing and they don't want to contest the hand. normally, the minimum to stay in this hand would be to pair the 3rd card that didn't pair on the flop, but sometimes you'll see a pair between the cards on the board.

2. Raise: depending on the amount, this will generally tell me if they are bluffing or not. an all-in re-raise generally means a pure bluff or a flush/straight draw.

3. Call: here's where you should just give up the hand. they got the queen and position, and there's little you can do. if they give you 20 to 1 odds, you can take them and hope for trips/fh on the river.

From weak players though, you should check.

They'll generally make probe or continuation bets if the have nothing, and all-ins if they have something.

Answer 3

There are no pat answers to your question,the first question is what kind of image you project and how do they read you? second if you bet straight out ,will they want to commit chips over the top to see if they can get you to drop the hand If the flop is qqj do you really want to commit with an overpair on the flop and fold to a raise or check call and have them wonder if your slow playing or possibly get lucky and hit your overpair on the turn. This is poker also why position is so important, but depending how you read situation and players amount of chips your willing to commit each situation is different, sometimes needs to be played one way ,at times another each one could be considered correct or wrong for that situation. good luck

Answer 4

Here's the rule:

NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR POCKET PAIR.

Just because you have AA or KK doesn't mean anything after the flop.  Be prepared to throw them away if you think you're beat.  Bet it, check raise it, check fold, check call, it doesn't matter.  Just be prepared to fold them if you smell something dirty.

Reading your opponents and knowing your outs is the important thing here.  If you have KK and it flops 9TJ and you bet and are raised a call is not out of order.  You still have outs. And while your first instinct is to put your opponent on QK or a set, it's possible that he's semi-bluffing with nothing but a draw.  Perhaps with AK or QQ if he called your big preflop raise.  On the turn, depending on the card, is where you make your big decision because it's usually right then that you'll decide if you're commited or not.

And another thing: I don't care if you have 75% of your stack in that pot.  If you feel you are beat, you are beat and you are NOT pot committed.  With 25BB left, you still have plenty of game left.  More game than if you throw it all in because you have a bruised ego because your AA or KK took a bad beat.

Everytime you play AA you are favored preflop.  But you are not guaranteed anything.  Remember that.  Teach yourself discipline in folding.  Don't show your hand and remember that a BAD fold is only a SMALL mistake.  A BAD call is a HUGE mistake.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I hate this position as well.  It's very hard to put down such a strong position.  But I'm going to fight before I just drop my cards, especially with such a big stack in relation to the blinds.  If it's me, I come out firing.  Table image has a lot to do with this, as you've implied by saying the other guys are good players.  Without knowing their table image, here's what I do based on subsequent actions.  

Player 2 calls and player 3 raises: I call.  We're getting a lot in this pot and I still have a few outs if my AA is busted.  With KK, I might fold.  If player 2 raises, I fold.

Player 2 raises.  Regardless of what player 3 does, I probably fold.  A raise from player two with your aggression and not knowing with 3 will do indicates a very strong hand.  

Player 2 folds and Player three raises.  If not crazy, I'll call.  

Both Call.  I hate this.  Either two good players just made weak calls, or I'm getting slow played.  If I improve my hand at the turn, I'm firing.  If the turn helps no one, I'll check to see what gives.  

To me, the outcome of this hand is secondary to how it will set me up for future play (assuming you don't get busted).  A hand like this will play a huge factor in your table image, regardless of how it plays out.  Just make sure you understand how it affects your table image and how you play it.  If you are easily pushed out of this pot after a large raise out of position, every player is going to be doing that to you.  Make them prove in their betting that they have you beat.