Ive often wondered if there is a good way, other than just being very passive with it, to get away from a TPTK hand when someone else has a small set.


for instance your in late position and hold AK suited. raise it up, get a caller...flop is A 3 7 rainbow. Very nice flop it looks like, but the EP caller has 33...


What is your best way to avoid loosing money in this situation? Or is this one of those situations where you are going to loose some money, and there is nothing you can do about it?

Wanted to add..obviously if someone super tight, starts betting like a maniac here..then its gonna be obvious you are probably beat...but the majority of online, and im sure live players too...love to slow play the shit out of sets, just check calling...etc..then making their moves on the river...

Fold when you get C/R on the turn when you've been representing your hand the entire hand.

In SS, Doyle addresses that the texture can play a big part in whether or not you are ahead with TPTK. If you get a fairly safe flop and get played back at, You're probably behind. However, if you get a flop like:

A 10 9

Now, you're a head a lot more when faced with aggression on this flop because of people's tendencies to push draws. In this case, you decide whether the player plays his draws strongly or if he's got a made hand to bet you. Becomes more read based.

In general, if I have a lot of agression being thrown at me on a safe flop, i'm behind.

Disclaimer on entire point if villain is a donk who will play Tp2k all sorts of crazy ways.

Thats strange...i dont think ive ever really considered that.


Im always really cautious when i hold AK on a coordinated board like that.


More i think about it, the more it makes sense though.


I always worry abotu giving someone too much credit holding a strong ace..and letting it go on a weak bored...when the donk shows A8 off suit...


I think one of my biggest leaks right now is playing slightly too tight, giving people too much credit for hands. So i sometimes try and overcompensate...last night it cost me about 50 bucks on the quarter tables...before i got up and took a breather.

That's a better leak than the other way around. There's plenty of bad players that allow you to get your money in as a 4:1 or 5:1 favorite that you don't really need to worry about playing too tight at low limit games while you're multitabling.

What do you do about the times when villian doesn't have a set. But maybe something like TT. What about when villian makes this play when he suspects you have a bigger pp than him and is trying to get you to lay down your hand?

If he wants to play a guessing game, that's fine. I don't find many people will try to take a preflop raiser off a range that includes AK, AQ, KK, AA. Live, I find that I have a strong enough feel of the table, that i'm going to know if some one's moving on me. Online, if it's a solid guy i fold. If he's a maniac, i push and hope he finally didn't find a hand. Against unknown, you I assume he's not capable of bluffing until something leads me ot think otherwise.

What do you do about the times when villian doesn't have a set. But maybe something like TT. What about when villian makes this play when he suspects you have a bigger pp than him and is trying to get you to lay down your hand?

There are three scenarios taht you can have here.

If you have the chips you can make one more raise here to test him. If he's a solid player you should just fold and wait until you can make the move. if he's aggressive you should push back. i htink alot depends on your own table image as well as what the right choice is and if he is making a move or if he has you beat.

i am not saying you should push back just cause guy is aggressive. i think you should probably fold more than 50% of the time in this situation unless you are better than tptk.

i am not saying you should push back just cause guy is aggressive. i think you should probably fold more than 50% of the time in this situation unless you are better than tptk.

i am not saying you should push back just cause guy is aggressive. i think you should probably fold more than 50% of the time in this situation unless you are better than tptk.

i am not saying you should push back just cause guy is aggressive. i think you should probably fold more than 50% of the time in this situation unless you are better than tptk.

i am not saying you should push back just cause guy is aggressive. i think you should probably fold more than 50% of the time in this situation unless you are better than tptk.

So what are you saying chuck?

Actually, the thing I have been tryung to work on more is reading the texture of the board more. That is a great point Scotty, a well coordinated board may lead to people on draws.

If the action is raised preflop, and the board comes A 7 3 rainbow, your opponent either has a real hand or missed. He must have at least 2 pair to play back at you. So the key is to be aggressive and gather information from his reactions.

Of course if you have information that he is a donkey, or a maniac then you have to change your thinking. But absent solid reads, Scotty's advice is very solid.

I will say that sometimes you run into two pair on the board of

A 10 9

Peoople will play 10 a or 109.

But, the presence of all the draws expands the range we are putting villain on.