DECISION POINT: You are in a live $1/$3 cash game where most stacks are around $300. There has been a lot of limping and passive play both preflop and postflop. The Under the Gun player limps, you raise to $15 from UTG+1 with 7♣7♦ and the Cutoff, Big Blind, and UTG all call. The T♥9♦4♣ flop gets checked around. The Big Blind and UTG check and you decide to check again on the 6♥ turn. The Cutoff bets $60, everyone folds and action is on you.

What do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: We are playing in a low stakes, $1/$3 cash game with most stacks in the $300 range. There has been a lot of limping at the table and passive play both pre and postflop. We are dealt pocket sevens UTG+1. The UTG player limps and action is on us.

In many games the best play would be to limp behind with our speculative hand and play to win a big pot when we hit a set. However, this game is very passive postflop which decreases our implied odds but makes raising an attractive alternative.

By raising the best case scenario is isolating the limper and getting to play heads up in position. Worst case we get a few callers, however since the pot is already a reasonable size it will be easier to win a bigger pot when we flop a set. We also will get to realize our equity more often multiway postflop as passive players will often allow for cheap showdowns or free turn cards.

We do raise to $15 and the Cutoff, Big Blind, and UTG all call. The flop is Th9d4c. The Big Blind and UTG check and action is on us. This is a very coordinated flop that connects well with other players’ preflop calling ranges. Ideally we get to see a free card and hopefully hit a 7 on the turn or get to a very cheap showdown and realize our equity. We check and so does the Cutoff.

The turn is the 6h giving us an inside straight draw. The Big Blind and UTG elect to check again and there is no compelling reason to bet now, so we check and the Cutoff bets $60 causing the remaining 2 opponents to fold. This is a spot where continuing in the hand can seem compelling as It’s unlikely our opponent has 87s as we block two of those combinations. Although having blockers can be a factor, it’s important to remember we are in a very passive game where players are unlikely to be making big bluffs in this spot.

That means we likely have 6 outs and are at best getting around 2:1. It’s possible the Cutoff is making this play with a hand like QhJh, however that’s our best case scenario and even then our opponent has a ton of equity going into the river against our holding.

It can be quite tempting to call down here, and in many postflop heads up situations against players who play reasonable, balanced ranges, continuing here could often be correct. In a multiway pot most opponents will be much less likely to bluff, and passive players in low stakes are even less likely to be firing low equity bluffs in this spot.

Folding is the best play.