Quiz #17, Question Two

[Matt]

This question is a slightly altered version of question one: You hold Q:clubs:J:clubs: in the big blind. The game is loose, with a mix of passive and aggressive players. Two players limp. The button, a loose-aggressive player, raises. The small blind calls. You call, as do the two limpers. The pot contains 10 small bets. The flop comes Q:spades: J:hearts: 3:hearts:. You have top two pair. The small blind checks. What do you do?

[Matt]

Check, intending to check-raise. Weak players almost always check to the pre-flop raiser. Exploit this tendency. Check and hope that the button bets. You want to reduce the other players' pot odds. The button may take a free card, but it's worth the risk. A bet will not protect your hand anyway.

Most Hold'em experts advocate a lot of check-raising. The check-raise is a powerful weapon in Limit Hold'em. You can use the check-raise for at least three purposes: to gain extra bets, to mix up your play, and to protect vulnerable hands from draws.