PokerCoaching.com Quiz: Pocket Queens On A Low Flop

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You are seven-handed in a $1,000 buy-in live poker tournament with a 550,000 stack at 7,500-15,000. You raise from the lojack with Q Q to 30,000. A loose, aggressive player calls in the big blind. The flop comes 7 6 4 and the big blind checks.

Question 1: Should you check, bet 25,000, bet 50,000, or bet 75,000?

Answer: Low connected boards are the ones you have to be the most concerned on against a big blind caller because they have lots of effective nut hands in their range whereas you have almost none. That said, Q-Q still wants to bet most of the time, especially when you have a backdoor diamond draw.

In general, when betting on boards where you lack the nut advantage, you usually want to use a small size. Additionally, when there is already a straight available on the board that the opponent could reasonably have, you also want to use a small size. So, if you decide to bet, bet 25,000.

This time you check behind. The turn is the Q and the big blind checks.

Question 2: Should you check, bet 25,000, bet 50,000, or bet 75,000?

Answer: When checked to twice, you can start to remove many of the hands that beat yours from your opponent’s range.

Since your hand is almost always good but somewhat vulnerable to being outdrawn, you should bet. The main time to slowplay is when it is difficult for your opponent to have a premium hand and you are not vulnerable to being outdrawn, which is certainly not the case in this situation.

You bet 50,000 and your opponent calls. The river is the 8, and your opponent leads for 90,000.

Question 3: Should you fold, call, raise to 220,000, or go all-in?

Answer: Against a lead when your opponent has many straights in their range, your only good option is to call with your strong bluff catchers. If you somehow knew your opponent would only lead with a straight, you could make a super tight fold, but unless you are extremely confident in your read, calling with your hand that beats some thin value bets (such as sets and two pairs) is the best play.

You call and your opponent shows 5 5 for a straight, scooping the pot.

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