I've identified a leak, it's massive, it's basic, it's cost me hundreds or thousands of bbs, and it really needs to be plugged. I don't know what to do with top pair-hands when I get raised on the flop by non-maniacal players.

Two examples from the last few months of live play (yay USA) that have eaten at my confidence, both against TAG-ish players:

Effective stacks are $400 in both hands.

Example 1: 2/5: Hero gets dealt KQss on the button. 2 limpers, hero raises to 25, blinds fold, limpers call.

FLOP: Q 4 6

two checks, hero bets 50, first villain folds, second villain raises to 150.....



Example 2: 2/5: UTG limps, MP limps. folds to hero who raises to 25 with AQhh, blinds fold, UTG calls, MP calls.

FLOP: Q T T

UTG checks, MP checks, hero bets 50, UTG raises to 100, MP folds.....

I understand the baluga theorem, and should be letting go of these. However, I feel like I'm extremely exploitable if I start cbet/folding anything less than 2 pair on the flop. I start thinking that if I have to bet/fold the flop twice in a row early on in a session, villains are going to take notice, start exploiting me with check/raises every time I open a pot, and slowly bleed me out for 8-15 bbs per hand. However, I can't stop cbetting, since if I do that, villains can adjust by leading most flops, forcing me to turn my hand face-up in response to their donk-bet, and playing mistake free from there on out. As a result of this, sometimes I continue against these c/r's early on in a session and get stacked in an entirely preventable manner out of the fear of being exploited.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had this problem. I welcome advice, berating, links to other topics on this matter...anything that will make me not be a losing player with TPTK.

I think you may be over-stating the risk of being exploited. Unless you notice these players are capable of bluff-raising on dry flops, you will not be exploited by bet-folding. It's good practice to dump TP if villain shows aggression on the flop and (especially) the turn. You can also exploit these players, because if they don't raise the flop, you can be pretty sure you have the best hand, so you can plan the best way to extract maximum value.

Over and over I make the mistake of shoving over a raise when I have TPTK because "I'm absolutely sure the guy's bluffing". I've NEVER won the hand when I've done that.

THAT'S a leak.

The Balgua Theorem applies to turn raises.

On both these hands you are check raised on the flop.

Fold both hands.

You'd play it differently depending on if villain was a reg (who knows you're a reg) and is capable of making moves or if they are a fish who just hit twopair or trips.

Hand 1 - think about what hands he could play this way PF and on the flop.

Definitely 66, and 44.

Would he over-limp KQs and then check/raise this flop, or check/call the flop? What about QJs? Or 75s? Have you ever seen this guy get tricky before?

Now you have to figure out how often he has 66/44 vs. how often he has KQs, QJs, or 75s (if ever), and then you can figure out whether to proceed or fold.


Hand 2 - The guy open/limps first in, and then mini-check raises into 3 players. That seems very strong to me. Would this guy limp in with stuff like JTs, QTs, KTs, ATs, ATo? Would he make this play with KQ, AQ, KJ?

General advice would be to analyze each hand on it's own like above, and to avoid making hard and fast rules about how to play TPTK.