SCENARIO 13
Now suppose you are in middle position with the K ? K?. You raised before the flop to $100 and got called by Loose Louie on the button and Tight Ted in the small blind. The pot no limit holdem has $325 in it. The flop comes:
Tight Ted checks.
What's Your Move?
A. Check with the intention of moving in on Loose Louie if he bets.
B. Bet poker $300 to win the pot right now
C. Check with the intention of folding if someone bets play no limit holdem
Analysis
Checking with the nut flush draw and an underpair (kings) against just two opponents, one of whom has already checked, is not the correct play. Loose Louie might bet behind us without having either an ace or a flush, putting us in a difficult situation trying to decide what to do. We bet $300 and try to win the pot on the flop (Option B). If Louie folds and Tight Ted moves in on us, we should probably fold unless Ted has only a few more chips than our bet. We will probably have to catch another spade to win against Ted. If we are called on the flop, we check fourth street unless a spade or a king comes to holdem poker game.
Playing Big Pairs: Queens
How to Play Queens Before the Flop
Pocket queens is a hand that needs to be played with caution both before and after the flop understanding. Many times, especially in the later rounds of a tournament, a classic confrontation comes up in which two players get all their chips in the pot before the flop. One player has A-K and the other player has Q-Q. the queens are the favorite, though only a small favorite, over the A-K. I have heard many a player drag his weary body out of the tournament area mumbling to himself over losing the hand with his pocket queens when an ace or king came at the river introduction.
Queens also have two overpairs-aces and kings that can be out against them before the flop. Then when an ace or king comes on the flop, you're always fearful that someone has hit his ace or king. Sometimes you will just have to take a chance and go with your pair of queens, either before or after the flop.
In early position we like to raise at least four times the big blind before the flop we are trying to narrow the field. We want to weed out the poker players with overcards to give our pocket queens a better chance of holding up. You might seven card stud raise as much as five times the big blind if you are first to enter the pot.