You should probably be willing to put it all in with the set. You're
probably ahead, at worst you're a 2-1 dog, and if he makes a flush on
the turn you've still got a solid redraw.

With the two pair, you might want to slow down and not make the pot
too big. The pot gets big enough and you pretty much have to call.
With the two-pair, if you aren't ahead then you're a pretty big dog.

There really is a large difference between two pair and a set in this
situation.

But, I think most players who come over the top at you in this
situation just have a draw most of the time. You need to consider
that also.


On 4 Aug 2003 00:38:35 -0700, FlushDrawMcGraw@yahoo.com (Flush Draw
McGraw) wrote:

>What's the best strategy in a deep-stack no-limit tournament when the
>flop hits you strong, but it's single-suited?
>
>I have gotten played a couple times now in this situation early on in
>tournaments by loose-aggressive players who lean to the crazy side.
>The kind you see go all-in sometimes with monster hands and sometimes
>with top pair of aces and a 9 or 10 kicker. My strategy is to play
>back at these types by manipulating the pot when the flop hits me
with
>two pair or top pair, A/K/Q kicker. But when the flop is
>single-suited, the following has happened:
>
>The flop is Jxx when I'm holding JJ, or K9x when I'm holding K9 (in
>the latter case, a free play from the big blind). Jim Brier says
these
>are good hands even with a dangerous single-suited flop, as flopped
>flushes are hard to come by, but you have to play them fast. I
figured
>that strategy should be even more effective in no-limit, where you
can
>make a big bet to pressure flush draws on the flop.
>
>But both times I have tried this now, betting the pot with the set of
>J's and with top two pair, the loose-aggressive opponent has
responded
>by raising me all-in! In both cases I folded: I didn't want to risk
an
>early exit by calling someone who quite possibly, if not likely,
could
>already have a flush.
>
>Well, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, better ask rgp. How
>do experienced NL tournament players handle this situation?
>
>Is the single-suited flop just seen as a golden opportunity for a
>stone-cold bluff by the crazy-aggressive players? Do I need to forget
>about the aggressive pot-bets with a set or two pair? Or do I just
>call the all-in raise when I flop the set, counting on the
combination
>of all my full-house outs plus the times the other guy is just
>bluffing to make it a +EV play overall?

Gary Carson
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