Playing big pairs - QQ

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Playing big pairs - QQ

by timechen

After AA and KK, it's time to talk about the third best starting hand in Texas Hold'em, QQ. When played correctly, this is a very profitable hand, there are, however, a few mistakes you can make that can end up costing you your stack.

An American poker pro once said: "QQ is for mid-sized pots, but it's not a hand you want to play with for your entire stack."

Of course, this isn't always true, but it's important to know how to play QQ in difficult situations. We will analyze QQ hands from the NL FR 0.02/0.04 Sample Hand Forum to see how QQ is best played in various situations.

We will be looking at the following situations:

• You are the pre-flop aggressor and out of position.
• You are the pre-flop aggressor and in position.
• There is an ace or king in the flop.
• An opponent min-raises a low card flop.

You are the pre-flop aggressor and out of position

Stacks
MP2 ($5,54)
Hero ($8,52)
BB ($1,50)

Pre-flop: Hero is UTG+1 with Q, Q
UTG folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, MP2 calls $0.16, 4 folds, BB calls $0.12.

Flop: ($0.50) 3, 7, 7 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.40, MP2 calls $0.40, BB raises to $1.34 (All-In), Hero …

You raise before the flop and get two calls. You have a good overpair on the flop and are very likely to have the best hand. 33 and 77 are in your opponents' hand ranges, but there are a lot of other hands they could have and play, as well.

You have a relatively large contibet of $0.40. You could even make a pot size bet to give your hand maximal protection against possible flush draws, since two opponents are still in the hand.

After MP2 calls and the BB pushes all-in, you have to ask yourself what your best option is. If you call, MP2 will be getting very good pot odds to stay in the hand. He will complete a flush draw 35% of the time and is getting 0.94:3.58, or app. 1:3.8 pot odds, which is enough for an easy call with a flush draw.

In this hand you have to go all-in so that a possible flush draw will not have the right odds to stay in the hand.

You are the pre-flop aggressor and in position

Pre-flop: Hero is BU with Q, Q
3 folds, MP2 calls $0.04, MP3 folds, CO calls $0.04, Hero raises to $0.24, SB folds, BB calls $0.20, MP2 calls $0.20, CO folds.

Flop: ($0.78) 4, 5, 4 (3 players)
BB checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets $0.65, BB calls $0.65, MP2 folds.

After two players limp in front of you, you raise to 6 BBs with QQ. The flop is draw heavy: a flush draw could be out there; your opponent could also be check/calling with a hand like 63, 23 or 67.

You should make a pot size bet on the flop to give your hand maximal protection.

Turn: ($2.08) 5 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero ?

You have to bet again, simply to keep protecting against possible draws. If an opponent raises, you can make a relatively easy fold knowing your opponent could very well have a 4 or a 5. The question is, how much should you bet? $1.50 is a good size to tempt your opponent into making an incorrect call.

River: ($4,08) J (2 players)
BB checks, Hero ?

The river card is a nice. Neither the flush nor straight draw have completed. Some flush draws might have paired the J. A lot of opponents will also call with A high, since the board is paired twice.

You should clearly value bet. The size of your bet depends on your opponents. $2 should be the minimum; you could even go all-in.

There is an ace or a king in the flop

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with Q, Q
UTG calls $0.04, 1 fold, Hero raises $0.12, 6 folds, BB calls $0.12, UTG calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.42) 10, A, A (3 players)
BB checks, UTG checks,  Hero bets $0.30, BB calls $0.30, 1 fold

You won't have a hard time playing your hand in this spot. You make a standard contibet and then switch to passive mode and play check/fold on the turn if you get called or raised. You will end up giving the pot to a flush draw now and then, but your opponent is guaranteed to have an ace if you start any heavy action and he stays in the hand.

An opponent min-raises a low card flop

Everyone's seen it - the player constantly making min-raises. Sometimes he has a monster, sometimes it's just a bluff. The action can take several different courses when you play against a min-raise. Here is a nice example hand:

Stacks
Hero (UTG) ($5)
MP1 ($5.96)
BB ($5.27)

Pre-flop: Hero is UTG with Q, Q
Hero raises to $0.20, 1 fold, MP1 calls $0.20, 5 folds, BB calls $0.15

Flop: ($0.62) 10, 8, 6 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.40, MP1 raises to $0.80, Hero ?

What are your options?

• Re-raise/Fold: This would be a so-called information raise and is not advisable in this spot. If you 3-bet and fold to an all-in, you spent money to find out where you stand. You end up investing more money to win the pot than is in the pot itself, which is why this move is not profitable in the long run. You are also turning your QQ into a bluff, since you could make this move with 72o just as easily.

• Re-raise/Call: When you use this line you risk running into better hands, which will happen fairly often. You will also have a problem if you call and an A, K, J, 9 or 7 shows up on the turn. If an A or a K shows up, every hand you had beat on the flop will fold to another bet. The only action you will get will be from an opponent with an A or a K.

• Fold: A possible alternative, but not really the best way to play when facing an unknown opponent who could have a number of weaker hands in this situation.

• Call/Min-raise, then c/f or c/r all-in depending on the turn card: This is also a decent alternative, though you will run into the same problem we discussed under re-raise/call.

The best line in this spot is a direct push on the flop. Your hand is too strong to fold, but could lose a lot of value if one of several ugly cards shows up on the turn. 

You are also out of position. This means your opponent can take a free card and see the river if you check to him. You accomplish the same thing by betting on the turn as you do if you do so on the flop, which is why you can go all-in directly.