Poker Plays with PokerPeaker – Mining for Sets Against an Obvious Over Pair.
At a full ring .25/.50 NL cash game on Ultimate Bet .
I'm dealt 10♥-10♠. I have about $55.
I call along with four others before the Big Blind raises 7xs the blind to $3.50. The Big Blind has $150, so he has hit some hands and has to be feeling good. The raise is almost always one of two things. He has a huge pair, or he is trying to make a play. Most of the time, at the lower limits, which tends to feature play that is pretty straightforward, a player willing to raise that much has a big pair.
I am calling because I have position on him and I hope to flop a set.
If you flop a set against an over pair, it can be the most profitable play in poker.
The flop comes 6♠-3♦-10♣.
Awesome! I've flopped top set on a non-threatening board. There are no real draws out here, so I have no problem slow-playing the hand. Now let's see if he was making a play or if he has a big pair.
The Big Blind bets the pot, $13.99. This tells me he has a big pair. He could be making a play - the board is pretty soft - but his big bet tells me he wants to end it right there.
The third player calls, this puts him all in, but I'm not really concerned about him. More often than not, players with a big pair get nervous once the flop hits and would really prefer to just end it. Big pairs, after all, are tough to play after the flop because you only have a pair.
So I call to extend his misery.
The turn brings a 2♦. Sure enough, the Big Blind bets $42, which puts me all in. If I don't have the best hand here I'm going to start playing cribbage online instead of poker.
The river brings a J♣.
Sure enough, he shows Kings, and I drag a $116 pot.
Lessons Learned: You should always call a single raise with a pair in your hand in the hopes of flopping a set. You will earn most of your big pots from sets. You should especially call if the raise seems a little higher than normal. He most likely has a big pair and may not be able to fold after the flop.
This is also a good reminder that you should slow down on the turn and consider what your opponents might have if they call your pot-sized bet on the flop and all you have is an over pair. I would have checked on the turn once two players called my big bet and let my opponent decide what to do. I realize some may see this as weak poker, but I don't like stacking off with a pair, even if it is a big over pair in my hand.
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