DECISION POINT: In a Tournament, we called a raise preflop with 87 suited in position against 2 opponents. They both check to us on this flop. Do we check or bet?

PRO ANSWER: When deciding whether or not to take a stab at a pot without having directly connected with the flop, there are a couple primary factors to consider. The first should be how likely we believe we are to win the pot uncontested with a bet. This is influenced by the number of opponents on the flop, board texture, position, and opponent hand ranges.

In this case we have a very dry flop with two opponents that have both checked on the flop. This makes it less likely that anyone has connected with the board. Taking a stab at this pot would be much more profitable than in situations with more opponents, on more coordinated flops, or if we were out of position.

The second factor should also consider how much equity our hand may have when our bet is called. In this case, we have a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot straight draw, so we can occasionally turn a straight or bet again as a semi-bluff with a flush draw when our flop bet is called. This ability to bet again with more equity on future streets adds significantly to the overall profitability of our bluff on the flop.

Since we have a reasonable chance of winning this pot uncontested right now, as well as some good turn cards on which we can logically bet again, taking a stab on this flop is profitable. In general you should maintain consistent bet sizing between both your bluffs and good hands. In this case, a bet of around half pot works well.

Betting is the best play.