Bottom Set Decisions on Flop & Turn - Monochrome Flop

Theory says we should size down with our c-bets when we're multi-way, and size down some more on monotone flops. I think the reasoning is that our c-bet bluffs create less fold equity in these situations, and opponents are over-folding to our value when we bet large, so our bluffs get fewer folds, and our value ends up facing a stronger continue range.

I generally check my entire range when I'm OOP as the PFR, or monkey in the middle with opponents in front and behind. We want to see what our opponents do before we act.

If we check the flop, the CO might stab at it, and the BB might jam. At that point, we can fold. Alternatively, if the flop checks through, the BB is jamming the turn, and we can fold. If we c-bet, no one is folding a made flush, and few opponents are folding a good flush draw. All we're folding out are hands we have crushed.

If we flopped bottom set on a rainbow board, I'd still check. The CO might stab when we check to him, and the EP opponents might call. If the flop checks through, the EP opponents might stab turn. If action checks to us on the turn, we can make a delayed c-bet, knowing our opponent's ranges are fairly capped.

This is why I feel a bet is necessary on the flop. These are the hands we get value from, and these are the hands we need protection against.

As far as slow-playing flopped sets on rainbow boards, I'd rather try to play a big pot here, especially if there are straight draws and/or available flopped top pairs out there.

A c-bet on the flop, from OOP, into four opponents, on a monotone board, is definitely not necessary. If we want to charge the draws with our set, and protect our hand, we can accomplish the same goal with a smaller bet, or a check-raise.

We don't need to be overly worried that the flop will check through. When we check as the PFR with the CO left to act behind us, there's a very good chance he's going to bet his draws, and bet any worse value that also needs protection, and possibly stab at it with pure air, or (as was the case here), the naked Ad.

If he doesn't bet, so be it. The odds are, the turn won't be another flush card. More often than not, it'll be a brick. One of the players in front of us may lead out. We can call. We don't need to pile money in here. Our opponents will do it for us, with their worse value, and their draws, which they're not folding to a 60% pot bet on the flop.

There's no great reason to bet our hand. We're not building a pot we expect to win, because if the pot gets big, we're probably losing, and we're not denying much if any equity, because no one with a flush draw or top 2P is folding before the turn. If we want to bet for value and protection, that's the street to do it.

Instead of focusing on the fact you had a set, and BB flopped the flush, and CO was drawing to the nuts, consider how you'd play other hands in your range on this flop, and how your opponents would play other hands in theirs. You probably wouldn't blast off with AA, and they probably wouldn't be pouring money into the pot with KQ.

On the other hand, if we checked, the CO would have bet his AdQx, the SB would have called, and the BB would have jammed his J2dd. With only $12 invested in the pot, we could have made a pretty trivial fold, and saved ourselves $300.

We can't play a flopped set like it's the nuts on a monotone flop. Checking is almost certainly better than betting, but if we must bet, we shouldn't be betting $35 into $60, five-ways, especially not when two of our opponents will only have around a PSB behind.

If we have to bet (and I'm arguing we don't), we should bet like $10 or $15, at most, so we can get away from our hand when our opponents start blasting off, or so we can apply max pressure on the turn when they don't, and we can still get max value if we boat up.