PokerCoaching Quiz: Rivering Two Pair

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You are six-handed in a $10,000 buy-in high roller tournament. The blinds are 500-1,000 and you have a 125,000 chip stack. The action folds to you on the button and you look down at K 2.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, raise to 3,000, or raise to 5,000?

Answer: Unless you are incredibly short-stacked, K-2 suited is always a raise from the button. Raise and see if you can take down the pot preflop.

You raise to 3,000 and are called by both blinds. The flop comes Q 9 2 and both your opponents check.

Question 2: Should you check, bet 4,000, bet 8,000, or bet 12,000?

Answer: If you think one of your opponents has something, check your bottom pair and see if you improve on the turn. In spots where you can look at both of your opponents and tell they do not have a hand worth continuing with, bet small and attempt to take down the pot. If you are undecided between checking and betting small, remember that if you check and one of your opponents bets on any turn card that is not a king, deuce, or heart, you will have to fold. 

You bet 4,000 and are called only by the small blind. The turn is the A and your opponent checks.

Question 3: Should you check, bet 8,000, bet 16,000, or bet 24,000?

Answer: Over-potting it or checking back are your best options. If your opponent will fold a queen or a nine to another bet, then you should bet to apply maximum pressure. When considering bet sizings, you will want to go incredibly big as your opponent will likely call 8,000 or 16,000 with many marginal made hands you would much prefer to make fold. 

Instead, you elect to check it back. The river is the K and your opponent bets 12,000 (67% pot).

Question 4: Should you fold, call, raise to 30,000, or go all-in?

Answer: With folding and going all-in not being viable options, you must decide whether to call or raise to get some extra value from worse hands. When contemplating a raise, it is important to consider the marginal made hands in your opponent’s range and whether or not they would call a raise with them.

Based on how your opponent has played the hand thus far, they likely have either a king or queen. Will they usually call a raise with those hands? Probably not, and considering they have some better two-pairs in their range, you should just call to minimize your losses when you are beat and also to make it impossible for your opponent to bluff reraise you.

You call and your opponent reveals K J. While you may have left some value on the table, you avoided being put in a tough spot. ♠

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