PokerCoaching Quiz: Small Pair With A Weak Flush Draw

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You are eight-handed playing in a $150 buy-in online poker tournament with 100-200 blinds. The player in the lojack raises to 400 and it folds around to you in the big blind with 4 4 with a stack of 6,470.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, re-raise to 1,400, or go all-in?

Answer: You are definitely not folding, so which of your other options is the best play with your small pair? Three-betting small is not ideal with low pocket pairs because it puts you in a tough spot from out of position when you do not improve to a set.

Believe it or not, 30 big blinds is actually a suitable stack to move all-in from a GTO point of view, even though it may seem like a lot of chips to shove. Moving all-in guarantees you fully realize your equity while also producing a lot of fold equity. Both calling and going all-in are strong options. 

You make the call and the flop is A 7 2. You check and your opponent bets 300 (25% pot).

Question 2: Should you fold, call, raise to 800, or raise to 1,400?

Answer: Raising small has a little bit of merit if it can induce your opponent to fold unpaired high cards. The problem is if they have a good spade or an ace they will never fold.

If the opponent made a larger bet, folding would become reasonable, but on a monotone board, you should expect to mostly face small bets. Getting excellent pot odds, you cannot fold your pocket pairs with a junky flush draw. Make the call and see what develops on the turn.

You call, the turn is the 7, and both you and your opponent check. The river is the 8.

Question 3: Should you check, bet 300, bet 900, or bet 1,500?

Answer: You have two reasonable options, either check or bet tiny. Checking is the best play the majority of the time because it can induce your opponent into attempting a bluff without a spade which you can then easily call with your weak flush. Execute a check and see what your opponent does.

You check and your opponent bets 1,300 (73% pot).

Question 4: Should you fold, call, raise to 2,600, or go all-in?

Answer: This board contains a lot of busted draws which should encourage you to call. Considering the odds you are being offered, you need to be good 28% of the time. Your opponent will have a spade about 40% of the time, and perhaps even less with the A on the board.

Additionally, they will probably only bet with their strong flushes, perhaps with the 9 or better, lowering the probability they have a flush even more. Folding in this situation would be a blunder.

You call and your opponent reveals Q 10. By taking your time to think through your river decision, you realized you had the equity needed to catch the bluff.

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