Hitting Top Set, What's Your Line?

[jsull 0]

Just giving the hand below as an example hand, which (to me, anyway) seems pretty typical situation for when you get your set, and you're looking to see what you can get for value. We're heads up on the flop, but there are two spades and lots of straight possibilities.This is from a 9.90/360Poker StarsNo Limit Holdem TournamentBlinds: t150/t300(Ante: t25)9 playersConverterStack sizes:UTG: t3423Hero: t4825MP1: t9169MP2: t6548MP3: t10095CO: t2911Button: t4105SB: t8258BB: t2940Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG+1 with Q Q UTG folds, Hero raises to t800, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t800 (pot was t1475), 5 folds.Flop: Q 7 T (t2275, 2 players)Hero bets t900, MP2 calls t900 (pot was t3175).Betting less than half the pot here.... why? Trying to make it look like a weak c-bet, or that I'm now drawing to the nut flush. This low price will keep people in with weaker hands that I dominate such as AT, JJ, 99, 88, etc. I do leave open the possibility that the flush or straight will hit, but I'm willing to take that risk for the chance that he will raise me, or else this next turn move......Turn: 9 (t4075, 2 players)Hero checks, MP2 bets t1500, Hero raises all-in t3100, MP2 calls t1600 (pot was t8675).I think 80-90% of the time, a smart player is going to try to take you off this hand if you check the turn.

• There's a straight that could've been hit
• You check here, you look like you're giving up on the hand, you could have easily shoved, and your current stack is less than the pot
• yes, KJ is within the range of the opponent's hands, but so much else is too.
• An aggressive opponent in position will bet if he has any piece of this once you show weakness

River: 2 (t10275, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t10275)Results:Final pot: t10275Hero showed Qd QcMP2 showed 9h 8hhooked him with the straight draw, and nailed him when he still had the draw with a pair. I know I'm giving a good price for him to hit his draw, but lets face it, you're going to go with this set till the end with this size stack (m=7 preflop, which is VERY typical in early ante stages of a MTT online), and IMO, you're looking to double up here, not looking for Fold Equity. I like the line of: bet less than 1/2 the pot on the flop, then check the turn feigning weakness as if flop bet was a C-bet much better than the line of: Bet 2/3 -3/4 pot, then shove the rest on the turn or the line of slow playing it on the flop.What do you do when you hit a set in this situation? IMO, you have struck gold when you get top set... don't waste it trying to avoid being sucked out on.

[IWANTTOBERICHDAMMIT 0]

Just giving the hand below as an example hand, which (to me, anyway) seems pretty typical situation for when you get your set, and you're looking to see what you can get for value. We're heads up on the flop, but there are two spades and lots of straight possibilities.This is from a 9.90/360Poker StarsNo Limit Holdem TournamentBlinds: t150/t300(Ante: t25)9 playersConverterStack sizes:UTG: t3423Hero: t4825MP1: t9169MP2: t6548MP3: t10095CO: t2911Button: t4105SB: t8258BB: t2940Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG+1 with Q Q UTG folds, Hero raises to t800, MP1 folds, MP2 calls t800 (pot was t1475), 5 folds.Flop: Q 7 T (t2275, 2 players)Hero bets t900, MP2 calls t900 (pot was t3175).Betting less than half the pot here.... why? Trying to make it look like a weak c-bet, or that I'm now drawing to the nut flush. This low price will keep people in with weaker hands that I dominate such as AT, JJ, 99, 88, etc. I do leave open the possibility that the flush or straight will hit, but I'm willing to take that risk for the chance that he will raise me, or else this next turn move......Turn: 9 (t4075, 2 players)Hero checks, MP2 bets t1500, Hero raises all-in t3100, MP2 calls t1600 (pot was t8675).I think 80-90% of the time, a smart player is going to try to take you off this hand if you check the turn.

• There's a straight that could've been hit
• You check here, you look like you're giving up on the hand, you could have easily shoved, and your current stack is less than the pot
• yes, KJ is within the range of the opponent's hands, but so much else is too.
• An aggressive opponent in position will bet if he has any piece of this once you show weakness

River: 2 (t10275, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t10275)Results:Final pot: t10275Hero showed Qd QcMP2 showed 9h 8hhooked him with the straight draw, and nailed him when he still had the draw with a pair. I know I'm giving a good price for him to hit his draw, but lets face it, you're going to go with this set till the end with this size stack (m=7 preflop, which is VERY typical in early ante stages of a MTT online), and IMO, you're looking to double up here, not looking for Fold Equity. I like the line of: bet less than 1/2 the pot on the flop, then check the turn feigning weakness as if flop bet was a C-bet much better than the line of: Bet 2/3 -3/4 pot, then shove the rest on the turn or the line of slow playing it on the flop.What do you do when you hit a set in this situation? IMO, you have struck gold when you get top set... don't waste it trying to avoid being sucked out on.

overbet, weak bet... PUSHHHHlol my donkey instincts never decieve me.

[jmbreslin 0]

It's one of those risky moves that you love when it works but you kick yourself when it doesn't. I lost with top set (Queens too, I think) the other night when I played it tricky and lost to a backdoor flush on the river. But if you think you have a good read that he'll take a stab on the turn when you check, go for it.

[jsull 0]

It's one of those risky moves that you love when it works but you kick yourself when it doesn't. I lost with top set (Queens too, I think) the other night when I played it tricky and lost to a backdoor flush on the river. But if you think you have a good read that he'll take a stab on the turn when you check, go for it.

Ya, but you're going to get it in anyway right? I mean, if he's got nothing but still calls, then this is the guy you want to bet into you on the turn, and if he has something, a bigger bet (pot? 2/3 pot?) probably isn't going to chase him away and you're still going to have to make the crying call if whatever hits.To me this seems like a better play than "not offering him the correct odds to continue". With the stack size in this example (which is very typical), I think that checking the turn usually signifies you're giving up ESPECIALLY after a SMALL flop bet. Just my opinion.

[The Nuts 0]

Bet more on flop. Shove turn.Double up and fist pump.