Maximizing Top Pair

Type of Game: Limit Texas Hold’em, $10-$20 cash game.
Your Cards: Kc-Qc
Your Position: Small Blind.

Scenario: One player in early position, and one player in middle position, limps in before it’s your turn to act. You call as well, and the big blind decides to check. There is $40 in the pot and four players still in the hand. The flop shows Qh-6s-5d. You now have top pair with a really strong kicker. What do you do in this situation? Check or Bet?

Our answer: You should check in this situation. You do this in the hopes that another player will bet, and if someone does, you check-raise. This is a good way to build up the pot and maximize your winnings. However, this strategy should only be used when you have a really strong position. In this case you probably have the best hand, and there are not that many free-cards that can hurt you.

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