Here is a recent hand I played at a 1/2 table. Let me know how you would have played it.

I am out of position against 2 other players with KK. It got raised preflop to $7, so there is ~$25 in the pot. Effective stack is ~$220 (post-flop).

Flop comes 10s, Kd, Js.

I check, next player checks (an older, tight player), and pre-flop raiser (a typical young, sunglasses and hoodie wearing player) bets $17.

I raise to $40, older tighter player folds, and pre-flop raiser calls. We are now heads up, I am out of position, and there is ~$105 in the pot. Effective stack is about $180 now.

Turn comes 8h.

I check, enemy bets $100. I tank for a while, as this was a fold or all in decision, and eventually go all in. He calls and shows Q9 (flopped the straight), and I lose the pot.

My thinking at the time was that he hit a pair, or maybe even two pair, and he thought I was on the spade draw, which is why he called my raise instead of raise back- he wanted to see if a spade would come on the turn before putting more money in. When the turn came a heart, I figured he just wanted to get me off "my draw" with a large bet. I did not think this was a bet that he wanted called, so I went all in expecting him to call with a lesser hand thinking I need a spade on the river to win.

Should it have been obvious that he had my three kings beat? I might have overthought this hand in the moment, and failed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let me know your thoughts on this hand!

Raise more pre.

Ok, breaking it down;

Yes, agreed, definitely bet way more than 7 bucks preflop.

Post flop you had the initiative, flopped TS and checked it? Nah, that was a $30 moment right there. The guy with the flopped straight bet $17? Wow, he probably thought everyone else missed completely and that was all you guys would hang in for.

If someone bets something suspiciously low after a round of checks, I wouldn't figure a pair or two pair, that usually feels like a slow play. Check raise to 40 is good but on the small side, him calling doesn't say much other than he's not holding complete air.

Turn, you checked it away again (*barf*), he throws in a PSB, the shove was definitely right, although probably too late.

You and most players were dead on the flop, you lost top set to a flopped double inside straight, it's a cooler. Every good player should have played for stacks when that happens, it's still the right move on anything but a made board. The board was just a smidge to weak to scare off your cowboys, now 3 spades would have done it, but a double inside straight?, no way.

Only difference is you should have gotten your money all in pre flop or flop. There was no reason to let him get to the turn in case he was holding a draw, especially considering the flush/straight potential.

Don't think you got outplayed, villain got a very lucky win, play those cowboys hard. For each time the other guy hits a double inside straight draw on the flop, cowboys will hold up on a non-Ace non-suited flop. Don't shift your strategy based on variance, cards have no memory.

First of all, to some extent, this is a cooler. You flopped top set with a premium pair against a less common straight. That being said, you should have done some things differently that MAY have allowed you to avoid this entire situation.

Editing this down to the parts I care about:


The only way this series of actions could have happened was if you limped KK as first to act. DON'T DO THIS. STOP LIMPING. Had you raised instead of limping, maybe Q9 guy doesn't come along, then no flopped straight.

Ok, you limped. If you are going to limp, then you should be THRILLED when someone raises. Use that opportunity to re-raise. Either he gets more money in (behind, with Q9 v KK) or he folds. Either one is a 'win' for you (though his call would lead to it being a cooler in the end).