LEADING vs. CHECK-RAISING Flops With Two Pair | SplitSuit Poker

You find yourself with two pair on a three-way flop. Do you lead or check-raise? Most players opt to "check to the raiser," but leading into the preflop aggressor is an option that's 100% worth exploring.

In this video, James "SplitSuit" Sweeney breaks down a 6max hand shared on the RCP Discord. Hero defends their big blind with 74s and ends up flopping two pair on 764. But given the texture, stack depth, and likelihood of unfavorable outcomes, the discussion keeps coming back to hero's flop decision.

Oh, and the runout is horrible, both completing the flush draw AND putting a 5-straight on board. Sweet!

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[timelkin]

It's good to know I play this correct. Your videos always get me in the poker mood

[pot_kivach]

Checking turn was road for trouble. And you found one (on river)!

[kharnacier]

Hi, you said "consider leading". If so, how much would you lead for ? Thx

[stevievandelaar]

James, what do you think about squeezing to 1.40-1.50 in this spot?

[deanhack]

Thanks for all your efforts to educate. So you lead on the flop and get raised. Fold? or call and see what you get on the turn.

[deviongants]

Hey it's me again thx for video I appreciate the time you take out of your day to for the videos you provide I'm learning alot keep them coming and I gave a thumbs up and I subscribe thx

[andreaswagner]

I agree that this is a fold pre flop and a lead on the flop. But why on earth would we not want to get stacks in on the flop? Why would we want to fold to a flop 3bet? Yes they can have 66 and there is one combo of 44 and one of 77. But I doubt they have 53 or 85. And they can have tons of flush draws as well as something like 56s and overpairs. I would definitely want to get it in on the flop (and that’s me being a tight player)

[PrivateScrappy]

I’d be curious to know that if you do lead here and get called. What would you do on future streets ? If you lead turn and get called then that gross river comes I feel your in the same situation correct? Check fold?

[justinbigras]

I played a double paired board last weekend and used this sort of approach.. I had k2 suited on the BB middle position player min raised preflop and everyone folded.. I called flop came A23 I made a half pot bet, he called.. if you're betting they don't feel the need to bloat the pot more since their opponents already doing it.. run out was 2 on the turn and ace on the river.. I had the smallest boat possible out there.. I c bet the turn and over bet the river and he folded pocket 3s.. the line I took had him convinced I was holding an ace in my hand.. he folded the bigger boat.. the kids one of the better players I play against at this location.. he had me dominated the whole hand but I ended up winning it in a spot where worse hands can't call and better hands really shouldn't fold.. but by leading the flop I demonstrated strength.. and that's important for the remainder of the run out in many situations..

[benjamingarrity]

Definitely would lead on flop and bet turn. Check fold on river if the flop I check raise on flop and get jammed on im snap calling you have a set good job dont regret getting it in

[oliverseibert]

If this were heads up I feel like the check raise is the best play. We have a great hand and are blocking a lot of the hands that beat us. They are rarely there with sets or top two. So check raise their draw. I’m humble so tell me why not?

[fluffysheap]

I donk bet stuff like this all the time. I'm probably not actually playing this hand in the first place unless I get to see the flop for free, but lots of people forget that the big blind is allowed to have a real hand at all. And some people will go on tilt just because you bet out of position!

I'm probably not check raising with two pair unless I hard read that opponent has an overpair and will overplay it. The amount you have to raise to give your opponent a bad price to draw will probably make you pot committed, so it should be all in, and two pair just isn't great for that. I'd more likely check raise with a set, where I don't have to fear any made hand and can redraw a full house if they hit their draw.

Folding the stupid river is the obvious choice here, since you're playing for a chop at best. Or you could always try to lead a bluff. Opponent will fold things like sets and overpairs to even a small bluff for the same reason we do, and will sometimes find a hero fold with a straight, or even a low flush. You will look incredibly dumb if they have the nut flush, but you always look dumb bluffing into the nuts, so don't sweat it!

[DylPickle]

So I never lead because I don't know what hands to lead with. What exact hands should we lead with on this board into 2 people? If were leading 1/2-2/3 pot with 2 pairs sets straights flush draws and straight draws then what about all our 1 pairs? do we lead big with those too? If we don't lead with 1 paid then doesn't checking become super face up if your always leading good hands and draws?

[beergeekjake]

Looking to pick up some of your workbooks. If I buy the physical copy, do I get the ebook as well?

[paulhamilton]

4x check raise is my standard . Or is that a wrong figure for using as a standard in check raising?

[philippquos]

If I bet the flop as hero and villain 3bets say 2.5x : Do I fold? My guts say no. But what do I know anyway?!

[devinzibulsky]

Did you mention the effective stacks here? That makes a huge difference in what line to take because hero is 200 deep against the main villain.

At 100 deep, I think check-raise is good, even standard because you block sets and this flop hits your range the hardest, and if you somehow happen to run into a set here, then oh well. There are also tons of hands in villains range that get put in tough spots but might continue on a draw heavy board like overpairs and their own flush draws. But at 200 deep, then maybe you need to think about pot control because this exact hand would be near the bottom of your CR value range and there can be some really bad turns and rivers, as in this case...