Poker: Trapping & playing low pairs and A-Q

Let’s examine three ways these eight hands (8-8, 7-7, 6-6, 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2 and A-Q ) might be played in No Limit Hold ‘em (NLH). These are the kinds of hands you want to take a flop with and are hands worth one raise before the flop, or even making the first raise yourself. If you are going to raise with one of these hands, raise about the size of the pot and hopefully win when everyone folds. Ideally, you want to call a small raise (or the initial blind bet) or make the pot size raise before the flop, and then hit the set on the flop to win a huge pot.
Again, my theory is that you want to call a small raise or make a pot-size raise before the flop to try to win the pot before the flop.
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Poker: Smart Play on the Flop

The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort

 

Playing A-x Suited: Bad Flop
Suppose that a jackal has raised the flop, and you have called his raise with Ad- 5d, and then the big blind calls as well. If the flop comes down Js-Qh-3d and the big blind checks and the jackal bets, fold your hand. You have missed the flop (you don’t have either a pair, a straight draw, or a flush draw); you have only two bets in the pot at this point; and you were the caller before the flop, not the raiser. There is no warrant for getting further involved in this hand. (more…)