Partypokercom – Case Study 4
Category: Poker
www.partypoker.com – With a hand of (7s,8s) in the big blind, you go to a flop with the small blind which comes down (3h,4c,5s). The small blind then makes a minimum raise. It is possible that such a small raise could be made to build a pot without forcing you out, and finding yourself up against a straight or two pair is a distinct possibility. The reason I wouldn’t say three of a kind is very plausible is because that would entail your opponent having a small pocket pair, which would almost certainly warrant a preflop raise.
It is also possible though, that your opponent is putting in a small raise to try and make you concerned about this very fact. As a naturally aggressive player, I would of course want to reraise here, firstly to find out what I need to hit to win the hand, and preferably, to pick up the pot there and then. It may appear as if we are betting out and relying on making an inside straight if we get called, but in actual fact, a seven or eight would give us top pair and under the circumstances, perhaps put us ahead in the hand.
If we work under the assumption that our opponent does not have a straight or straight draw with a six, then if a two arrives on the turn, this will also be a scare card for our opponent and give us a better chance to force them off the pot.
Always remember that dangerous boards with opportunities for you to improve can give you the safety net you need to pressure your opponent, and find out where you are in the hand. partypoker.com
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