The Poker Quiz

You are sitting at a full ring $1/2 NL game with $315. From under the gun you look at Q Q and raise to $12. Three players call, bringing the pot to $51. The flop comes J 9 4. You lead out with a $30 bet and only get a call from a player in middle position. He has a healthy stack in front of him and has been playing many hands and chases lots of draws. The turn brings the 5. You are first to act.

The Solution

Bet just under the size of the pot (about $90 - $100).

You want to bet enough to get a strong draw like A 10, J 10 or 10-8 to pay terrible odds to see the last card, or bring along someone with a Jack and a big kicker for a ride. If you don’t bet enough (like $50 or $60), your opponent with the draw will call you down without too much though. If they do happen to have a hand like A-J or K-J or even Q-J they are likely to call a pot size bet. Be cautious if raised, as they may have caught a set of 9’s, 4’s, or J-9 but read their strength to determine if your over-pair is good.