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Playing Top Pair/Top Kicker in the Sub-Micro Stakes
Check out this set-up. You are in the cut-off with AQ and 3 limpers in front of
you. limpers call. If you whiff the flop, you certainly are not c-betting. If you hit, do
you have the best hand? What are the odds that one of your four opponents hit
2-pair? Flopped a straight? A flush draw? A set? Are you going to be able to
get these players to fold to your pair? Do they even consider or care that you
might have a pair? All solid sub-micro players have felt this frustration. I have
some advice.
Go Suited
Yes, I know, being suited only adds 3% or so of value to your hand, but there is
a huge advantage of how a suited hand plays after the flop. Being suited often
leaves you with much better post-flop options compared to not being suited.
Answering the questions in the above paragraph becomes MUCH easier when
you flop things like “two overcards and the nut flush draw” or “top pair nut flush
draw”. This hand also makes the occasional but solid 2-pair, trips, and nut
straight. Sometimes you even end up with insane power draws like nut
straight/nut flush/top pair draws where you can RAISE for value, lol. Suited
cards play much better multi-way than unsuited cards. If you can isolate your
AQo against one or two players fine – if not you may consider letting it go.
Small Ball
Since isolating is an unrealistic concept why even try? Limp with these now
drawing hands or raise them 2.5 big blinds to build the pot a bit and see a flop.
With or without position, these stakes often provide odds to continue in the
hand with a draw. Even with a 2/3 pot-sized bet, all you need is one other caller
to make it the right move to call. Implied odds are much bigger in the sub-
micros too, as people sometimes will stack off to your nut flush with middle
pair. Lastly, min-bets are often put out there, often called, and rarely get
significantly raised. See a flop super cheap or build the pot a bit. Don’t drive
yourself crazy trying to get loose players to fold with huge pre-flop bets.
Forget AJo
To hell with my advice, you raise big with AJo and get a couple of callers. What
did they call you with? I would guess that you were called with AK and AQ much
more than AT. So now you might lose three streets to domination. Bad players
get good cards too you know. Also, if the J hits, it is often counter-fitted by the
K or the Q. If you have poker tracker – check to see your profits with AJo. If you
are not showing a profit, there is no shame in folding this hand when you are
not able to isolate – and maybe even if you can isolate.
There are so many ways to pour on the win rate at the sub micros. Playing
unsuited top pair top kicker against big multi-way pots is not one of them.
Check out this set-up. You are in the cut-off with AQ and 3 limpers in front of
you. limpers call. If you whiff the flop, you certainly are not c-betting. If you hit, do
you have the best hand? What are the odds that one of your four opponents hit
2-pair? Flopped a straight? A flush draw? A set? Are you going to be able to
get these players to fold to your pair? Do they even consider or care that you
might have a pair? All solid sub-micro players have felt this frustration. I have
some advice.
Go Suited
Yes, I know, being suited only adds 3% or so of value to your hand, but there is
a huge advantage of how a suited hand plays after the flop. Being suited often
leaves you with much better post-flop options compared to not being suited.
Answering the questions in the above paragraph becomes MUCH easier when
you flop things like “two overcards and the nut flush draw” or “top pair nut flush
draw”. This hand also makes the occasional but solid 2-pair, trips, and nut
straight. Sometimes you even end up with insane power draws like nut
straight/nut flush/top pair draws where you can RAISE for value, lol. Suited
cards play much better multi-way than unsuited cards. If you can isolate your
AQo against one or two players fine – if not you may consider letting it go.
Small Ball
Since isolating is an unrealistic concept why even try? Limp with these now
drawing hands or raise them 2.5 big blinds to build the pot a bit and see a flop.
With or without position, these stakes often provide odds to continue in the
hand with a draw. Even with a 2/3 pot-sized bet, all you need is one other caller
to make it the right move to call. Implied odds are much bigger in the sub-
micros too, as people sometimes will stack off to your nut flush with middle
pair. Lastly, min-bets are often put out there, often called, and rarely get
significantly raised. See a flop super cheap or build the pot a bit. Don’t drive
yourself crazy trying to get loose players to fold with huge pre-flop bets.
Forget AJo
To hell with my advice, you raise big with AJo and get a couple of callers. What
did they call you with? I would guess that you were called with AK and AQ much
more than AT. So now you might lose three streets to domination. Bad players
get good cards too you know. Also, if the J hits, it is often counter-fitted by the
K or the Q. If you have poker tracker – check to see your profits with AJo. If you
are not showing a profit, there is no shame in folding this hand when you are
not able to isolate – and maybe even if you can isolate.
There are so many ways to pour on the win rate at the sub micros. Playing
unsuited top pair top kicker against big multi-way pots is not one of them.
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