The Poker Quiz

You are in the middle stages of a tournament the blinds are currently T500-T1000. You have an above average chip stack with about T115,000. You are dealt 7 7 ’s in middle position and call the big blind. Action folds around to a player in the cut-off seat who raises four times the big blind to T3,500. The blinds fold and you make the call.

The flop comes 9 6 5. You check and your opponent leads out of T4,500, leaving himself with T14,000 more.

The Solution

Raise.

This looks like the classic continuation bet. On an uncoordinated board of 9 6 5, the chances of him hitting cards to improve his hand are slim. Often a player that raised in late position and was checked to will bet with many, many hands. More often then not they will simply have two overcards and are trying to easily pick up the pot.

A pair of 7’s with only one over-card on an uncoordinated board is strong enough to make a check-raise here. It also applies major pressure on your opponent and with only a few thousand left he will have to make a decision for his tournament life. You are taking a chance that he does not have a set, an overpair or a 9, however, there is a very good possibility your 7’s are good here.