SCENARIO 58
The flop:
Before the flop, Novice Nancy limped in first position for $25. Everyone passed to us in middle position determine. Your hand is:
You raised to $100 and everyone folded around to Loose Louie in the big blind. Louie called the raise and so did Nancy, bringing the pot limit holdem to $310. On the flop, Louie bets $150 and Nancy calls. Now it's up to you.
What's Your Move?
Analysis
You have flopped an overpair to the flop. Normally, your overpair might be the best hand, and you have position on your two opponents (you are last to act on the hand). You know that Loose Louie is capable of betting in an effort to represent a jack in his hand he would like to steal the pot.
In contrast, Nancy doesn't really understand the strength of her hands. When she calls Al's Bet on the flop, you suspect that she has something-either a pocket pair or possible a jack. You want to try to find out where you are.
The Strategy We Suggest
Raise to $400. If one of them reraises, throw your queens away. It would be very hard cash course for them to raise you back in this situation if they couldn't beat your queens. If either of them calls or especially if they both call play poker very carefully from then onward. For example, if they call your raise on the flop and then check the turn, you would also check and wait to see what they do on the river bluffing poker hand.
At this point everyone left in the pot would have half their chips in the pot ($500) with $500 left in their stack. In other words, everyone in the hand is under the pressure of going broke.
SCENARIO 59
The flop:
You are sitting in a middle position with:
Before the flop, Solid Sam limped in first poker position for $25, we also limped from middle position, and Reckless Rick called from the button. Both blinds also cash course into the pot, which now has $125 in it.
On the flop, the two blinds and Solid Sam check to you.
What's Your Move?
Analysis
You have flopped a very big hand. You are thinking, "Please let someone bet or, better yet, move in on me!" because you want to get as much gaming money into this pot as you can. There aren't many draws to be afraid of-the only hands you are a dog to at this time are 7-7 or J-7. If there is a J-7 out against you, it most likely would be in one of the blind hands holdem poker.
You also have Reckless Rick, who likes to put chips in the pot, waiting to act behind you.
The Strategy We Suggest
Check. Give Rick a chance to bet behind you on the button. Your hand is Big enough that you can afford to let the turn card game come off. If someone draws out on you, too bad you were just trying to win a lot of chips with a premium hand and there's no harm in that.