Quiz of the week - Pocket pairs and sets
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| » QUIZ |
Pocket Pairs and Sets
from MiiWiin
Today we want to deal with small pocket pairs. There is no standard way
to play them preflop because you can only play them profitably postflop
if you hit your set. Implied odds play an important part here. There
are different ways to play a set postflop as well. Which style of play
is profitable against certain opponents will be explained throughout
this quiz.
| QUIZ HAND 1 |
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Assignment 1.1.
Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is UTG with 2 How do you react? |
, 2
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Assignment 1.2.
You decided to open raise. Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is UTG with 2 How do you react? |
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Assignment 1.3.
You called the 3-bet. Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is UTG with 2 Flop: ($45.00) 2 How do you continue to play? |
| QUIZ HAND 2 |
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Assignment 2.1.
You are on a different table with a tighter opponent now. Stacks & Stats
Preflop: Hero is BU with 5 How do you react? |
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Assignment 2.2.
You decided to call. Stacks & Stats
Preflop: Hero is BU with 5 Flop: ($9.50) 5 How do you react? |
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Assignment 2.3.
You only called on the flop. Stacks & Stats
Preflop: Hero is BU with 5 Flop: ($9.50) 5 Turn: ($25.50) 2:diamond(2 players) How do you continue to play? |
| QUIZ HAND 3 |
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Assignment 3.1.
You are dealing with a very loose player on a different table. He is very aggressive and openraised with a wide range. Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is BU with 7
How do you react? |
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Assignment 3.2.
You decided to call. Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is BU with 7 Flop: ($9.50) A How do you react? |
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Assignment 3.3.
You 3-bet preflop. Stacks & Stats Preflop: Hero is BU with 7 Flop: ($29.50) A How do you continue to play? |
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| » QUIZ |
Solutions
| 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | |
| a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| b) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| c) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| d) | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| e) | 0 |
| QUIZ HAND 1 |
Assignment 1.1.
a) Fold (0 Points)
b) Limp (0 Points)
c) Raise (3 Points)
A relatively easy question in the beginning. We obviously want to
raise any pocket pair first in, even 22 from under the gun. A limp
would theoretically be possible but our hand would become very blatant.
Before you start limping small pocket pairs, you should fold them
straight away. As the playability of pocket pairs is relatively good,
you should raise!
Assignment 1.2.
a) Fold (2 Points)
b) Call (1 Points)
c) 3-bet (0 Points)
Hero raised first in, the small blind calls, the big blind squeezes. It
is a tough decision for us. There is nothing wrong with folding in this
situation because the small blind has to act behind us. We don't know
if he calls, creating a 3-handed pot on the flop or whether he raises
again.
On the other hand, both players are relatively loose-passive. This
means that the big blind mostly has a strong hand and that the small
blind will call the additional 11$ most of the time.
Our implied odds, if we play heads up against the big blind, would be
13 to 1. Therefore the "call15" rule is not fulfilled, however, we can
stack villain quite often. If the small blind calls as well, the odds
would become a lot better. We would have position on both opponents in
both cases.
As you can see you can probably call in this situation if you want to.
It is important that you find a good balance here. A 3-bet would be
totally overplayed.
Assignment 1.3.
a) Call (2 Points)
b) 3-bet auf $45.00 ( 2 Points)
c) Push All-In (0 Points)
We have a 3-handed pot on the flop and hit a very nice hand. The big
blind makes a small continuation bet after the small blind checked.
The question is whether to slow play or not.
We put the big blind on a relatively strong hand. If he is holding
AA/KK he will go broke against us having has two outs against us. If he
is holding AK, he would probably fold to a raise. The small blind could
be holding a lot of hands though. Worst case would be Tx (ok, TT would
be the absolute worst case), with which he has 3 outs against us. In
total, there is only a few outs against us and a slow play can
therefore be considered.
As we raise a lot on the flop anyways, it wouldn't be wrong to raise
here as well to show that we are raising very strong hands as well. A
45$-raise is totally enough. Pushing straight away doesn't make any
sense here.
| QUIZ HAND 2 |
Assignment 2.1.
a) Fold (0 Points)
b) Call (2 Points)
c) 3-bet (0 Points)
Villain is a very tight player. He raises form UTG which accords to a
very slim range. We can put him on high pocket pairs or high broadways
like AK/AQ. Furthermore he could raise a lot of pocket pairs.
If we 3-bet, we will be rarely called. We either win the pot straight
away or we have to fold to a 4-bet. We are behind against his range, so
that a 3-bet would be overplayed. As we are in position, a call would
be much more profitable. A fold would be too weak because we can expect
to be paid off well if we hit the flop.
Assignment 2.2.
a) Call (0 Points)
b) Raise auf $18.00 (0 Points)
c) Raise auf $26.00 (2 Points)
We hit our set on a drawy board. Villain could have raised pocket pairs like 66 or hands like A
K
with which he would be holding a very strong draw with a few outs
against us. There is no point in slow playing on such a board.
Furthermore, it is more likely that villain pays us off if we raise
now, as he could be holding AA-JJ, than only calling the turn because a
scarecard like a 2, a 6 or a spade could come up and slow down the
action. There is no way around a raise and it should be big enough. A
raise to $26 would be acceptable here.
Assignment 2.3.
a) Fold (0 Points)
b) Call (3 Points)
c) Raise auf $50.00 (0 Points)
d) Push All-In (0 Points)
The one thing that should have been avoided happened here. The turn is
a scarecard and Villain 2nd-barrels. Which hands does Villain bet with?
1.) He is holding AA/AK/Ax/66 and wants to protect against the flush. We are behind.
2.) He is holding a smaller set and wants to protect his hand. We are head.
3.) He is holding KK- and plays bet/fold on the turn. We are ahead.
4.) He 2nd-barrels with air. We are ahead.
As you can see our situation is not hopeless. We can absolutely be
ahead in this position. We also have 10 outs against a straight. A fold
is out of the question here. The odds are alright and we can assume to
get a little more value on the river giving us some implied odds.
A straight would probably not fold to a bet on the river. If he is
holding a smaller set we will definitely get paid off if we hit the
river. If Villain is holding hands from the third or fourth category,
we can mostly see a free showdown.
The question of whether a raise makes sense is still open. The only hand to protect against would be the flush. But because any AX has already made a straight, we can only put villain on K Q at max. Yet many other hands would push so that a raise doesn't make any sense here.
| QUIZ HAND 3 |
Assignment 3.1.
a) Fold (0 Points)
b) Call (2 Points)
c) 3-bet (2 Points)
The very aggressive villain is raising with a wide range of hands here.
Folding in this situation from the button is completely out of the
question. We have the possibility of either calling or 3-betting as
well. It would be important to have reads on the blinds in this
position; yet we don't have any. If there are potential squeezers
behind you, a 3-bet should be preferred. A call would be a good line
against loose blinds who cold call a lot because we have position in a
multiway pot and will get paid off well most of the time. Without clear
reads on the blinds, both variations are just as good.
Assignment 3.2.
a) Call (2 Points)
b) 3-bet auf $18.00 (1 Points)
c) 3-bet auf $30.00 (0 Points)
Hero called preflop and hit. We have position, a drawless board and an
aggressive player who likes to bluff and surely 2nd-barrels the turn as
well. You should slow play here. If villain has an ace, he will
definitely continue to bet. If he is not holding an ace, he will
probably fold if we create action.
If we want to raise, which isn't all that wrong as long as we would do
this with other hands in this situation as well, a raise to $18 is
enough. A $30 raise would be overplayed and not necessary because this
would chase away all hands which were willing to call.
Assignment 3.3.
a) Fold (3 Points)
b) Call and re-evaluate on the turn (1 Points)
c) 3-bet to $42.00, and fold to a shove (1 Points)
d) 3-bet to $42.00 and call a shove (0 Points)
e) Push all-in for maximum foldequity (0 Points)
Hero has the initiative, but villain donks on the flop. Even though we
don't like it, a fold would be the choice least affected by variance. A
call is possible if we assume that villain gives up his hand enough of
the times on the turn. We would therefore get a freecard on the turn,
but could also bluff villain out of the hand.
If villain bets again on the turn, we would have to fold. Raise/fold is
also a possibility. The only question is whether we can convince
villain enough of the time that we are actually holding a strong hand.
Would we raise AK/AQ in this position as well? If we raise and villain
pushes, we would have to fold our hand anyways because we will be
behind most of the time. A push is out of the question as well, villain
would only call with better hands.
Without any history, a "correct" decision cannot be made here. A fold is mostly the safest choice.
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Evaluation
| 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | |
| a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| b) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| c) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| d) | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| e) | 0 |
| 0-1 Points |
If you want to play safe, just play AA/KK, you can even win unimproved with these hands.
| 2-8 Points |
You should do some revision. There are a few articles and
informative sample hands about the topic of "value from sets" which you
should read again.
| 9-15 Points |
You still struggle a little with pocket pairs, but you have understood
the basics. Play your pocket pairs a little more carefully preflop.
| 16-21 Points |
You can deal with pocket pairs well and understand how to make
decisions depending on your opponents. You know how to act preflop as
well as postflop.