Poker Coaching: Marginal Pair On A Paired Board

Join more than 120,000 players worldwide who have taken their game to the next level. To develop your poker skills and learn how to crush games, check out PokerCoaching.com.

You are competing in a World Series of Poker $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event. You have 19,700 in chips and the blinds are 150-300. The cutoff raises to 725, and it folds to you in the big blind and you look down at K 5.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, reraise to 1,700, or reraise to 2,800?

Answer: Every once in and while, three-betting is not a bad play if you think your opponent will fold too often or play poorly post-flop. A three-bet should be to a large size to encourage a fold, 2,800 being a quality option. That being said, while you don’t have a good hand, you are getting excellent pot odds while closing the action. 

You make the call and the flop comes 9 9 5.

Question 2: Should you check, bet 700, bet 1,400, or bet 2,100?

Answer: When deep stacked, it is usually only appropriate to lead with your best made hands and draws, K 5 not qualifying as either. By having all of the big pairs in their range, your opponent retains a heavy range advantage, encouraging you to proceed cautiously.

You check and your opponent bets 650.

Question 3: Should you fold, call, raise to 1,400, or raise to 2,200?

Answer: Marginal made hands on middle paired boards are reasonable to check-raise for a small amount. K 5 doesn’t mind when an opponent folds out unpaired high cards, and when you do hold a nine or a draw, which you would also check-raise, it is ideal to build the pot immediately.

Using a small bet size, your opponent is representing a linear range containing the majority of their hands. If they are betting the majority of their range, there is an excellent chance they will fold to a small check-raise.

You raise to 1,400, and your opponent calls. The turn is the 4.

Question 4: Should you check, bet 1,500, bet 3,000, or bet 6,000?

Answer: The ideal betting range allows you to bet with your bluffs, but how would you categorize K 5? This is a clear marginal made hand. Checking or betting small are two valid plays, however, betting small provides at least a little protection against random overcards that floated your flop check-raise. Betting small gives also keeps you from having to contemplate a fold if your opponent makes a substantial bet. 

You bet 1,500 and your opponent calls. The river is the A.

Question 5: Should you check, bet 2,500, bet 5,000, or bet 8,000?

Answer: It is hard to decipher how wide your opponent’s calling range has been up to this point in the hand. Your bet sizing has priced your opponent in pretty well, making it a possibility they are holding an ace. If they have an ace, they are not folding to any bet, but if they were going to consider folding, it would be to a big bet. Given the cutoff could also have a nine or a flush that you do not block, this hand is not worth turning into a bluff.

You check and your opponent checks behind with 9 7, resulting in you only losing a few chips.

For access to more than 1,200 interactive poker hand quizzes just like this, but in video format, visit PokerCoaching today.