PokerCoaching.com Quiz: Flopping A Set In A Multi-Way Pot

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You are playing 10-handed (yuck!) early on in the $400 buy-in WSOP Colossus. Blinds are at 300-500 with a big blind ante of 500. UTG raises to 1,200 and UTG+1 calls. You have 7 7 in middle position on a 50,000 stack.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, or raise to 6,400?

Answer: Middle pairs pretty much always want to call preflop raises in multi-way pots to give you a chance to flop a set for a tiny investment. Raising in this situation would be especially bad because the initial raiser could have a strong hand, meaning you should expect to often get four-bet, which would be a disaster.

You call, the cutoff calls, and the big blind calls. It is important to note that the big blind is a calling station. The pot is now 6,800. The flop comes 10 7 2 and it checks around to you.

Question 2: Should you check, bet 2,000, bet 4,000, or bet 6,000?

Answer: When you flop a set and are checked to in a multi-way pot, you should almost always bet to extract value. While a small bet of 2,000 is usually ideal, since the initial raiser’s range should be strong and the big blind hates folding, plus the flop has a straight and flush draw, sizing up to 4,000 will extract more value and simultaneously get more protection.

You bet 4,000 and only the calling station in the big blind calls. The turn is the K. The big blind checks to you.

Question 3: Should you check, bet 4,500, or bet 9,500?

Answer: When you bet the flop and get called, you should almost always continue betting on the turn when your hands is still likely to be good. This will protect your equity against your opponent’s draws while extracting value from their kings and tens. Against this specific opponent, you should continue betting on the larger size because he hates to fold.

You bet 9,500 and the big blind calls. The river is the 3 and the big blind checks. Pot is now 33,800.

Question 4: Should you check, bet 20,000, or go all-in?

Answer: Against this player, the best option is to go all-in. It is a slight over-bet to the pot, but you potentially get calls from marginal made hands such as a ten or perhaps even underpairs like 6-6. If your opponent only has a busted flush draw in this spot, he is folding to any bet size, so the play is to go all-in.

You decide to go all-in, betting 35,300. Your opponent grumbles before folding 5 4, saying he would have stacked you if he got there. ♠

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