What to do when you flop top pair with a medium/bad kicker
The most common way this can happen is when you have Axs, hoping to get a flush draw, and just an ace flops. For instance, you have
A♥ 6♥
one in front of the button. Five people call in front of you, you call, and then the button calls. Now the flop comes
A♠ T♦ 5♣
You have flopped top pair, but you can’t like it very much. You have six opponents, and if any of them has an ace, you are prob¬ably out-kicked. In a situation like this, if there is much action, you will have to get out. Sometimes when you get out, you will later discover that you had the best hand on the flop, but that will be the exception. If there is a bet and raise in front of you, you should probably drop right there and save yourself further an¬guish. If there is a bet and a lot of callers, the decision is less clear, but you should probably still fold.
If there is a bet and you are first to act after the bettor (players between you folded or the bettor is on your immediate right), you might want to raise. This is a positional raise designed to get you a free card. On your best days, everybody but the original bettor will fold, and he will check to you on the turn. You then check as well. You hope that he will continue to check on the riv¬er, but you should probably call a bet if he bets on the end. If the bettor re-raises on the flop, you can probably drop your hand right then.
Note that we did not recommend calling in this situation. This is an excellent example of tight-aggressive play. Either get out, or use your position to get a free card if possible. There is one ex¬ception to this. If the bettor is a maniac or a habitual bluffer, you might do well to simply call all the way. If he is bluffing, you will win more money by letting him continue to believe his bluff might work. If he has a better hand, then you lose less by not rais¬ing.
If you are in late position and it’s checked to you, go ahead and bet, but hope that all your opponents fold. If not, maybe you’ll gain a free turn card. If you’re called on the flop, prepare to check all the way from there. If you check the turn and some¬body bets on the river, you should probably call if the board doesn’t look too scary.
If you are in early position with such a hand, you may simply have to check and fold if there is significant action behind you. You have no position to use, and you cannot be the least bit sure you have the best hand. If everybody checks on the flop and the turn is not threatening, go ahead and bet, hoping to win the pot right there. If you are called, check on the river and hope the hand is checked through. However, you probably want to call a bet on the river in this situation. Many of your opponents will au¬tomatically bet top pair on the flop and assume you will, too. Since you didn’t bet on the flop, they will assume that second pair is good (or may be bluffing completely). If you are raised on the turn, you can probably fold (note that it will cost you two big bets to get to the showdown now). This whole discussion points out perfectly our concept of the dominated hand. You will be sorely tempted to call bets (and raises) all the way to the river with your top-pair-no-kicker hand, and yet time after time you will get shown a pair of aces with a better kicker. In the long run, especially against many oppo¬nents, you will come out ahead by dropping that hand as soon as it misses its flush draw. Note that if you get one of your flush cards on the flop, you are in a different situation. Suppose you have
A♦ 4♦
and call on the button after six others have called. If the flop is
A♠ 9♦ 5♣
you should call a bet on the flop. If the turn is a diamond, you have picked up the nut flush draw, and can easily call a bet. If you do not pick up your flush draw (or otherwise improve) on the turn, you are back to the earlier situation and probably have to drop.
An alternative in the above situation is to raise on the flop, and then plan to check the turn. Once you’ve done that, you will probably need to call a bet on the river, as your check on the turn may well induce somebody to bet.