Should you bet 2x on the flop with bottom pair in Hold’em vs. Dealer?

Bottom pair, bet or check

Average result per unit of ante (the blind equals the ante; trips not included), with the best play on every later street. Exact: every card that can still come and every dealer hand.

Why

After you check before the flop, the 2x bet is your last chance to bet more than 1x. A pair made with one of your cards beats every dealer hand that misses the board, and dealers miss often. The bet loses when the dealer pairs higher, but checking doesn’t save you from that: you would still have to pay 1x to see the showdown, or fold and lose the ante and blind. Pocket 2s are weaker than they look, because every card on the board outranks them.

Related questions

• Should you bet 2x on the flop with a flush draw in Hold’em vs. Dealer?

  Bet 2x when you hold the ace, king or queen of the suit. With a lower flush card, check: the draw alone doesn’t pay for a 2x bet. A jack is a coin flip that depends on your other card.

• Should you bet 1x or fold on the river in Hold’em vs. Dealer?

  Bet 1x with any pair that uses one of your cards. With nothing, count the dealer’s outs, the unseen cards that would beat you: bet with fewer than 21, fold with 21 or more.

• When should you raise 4x before the flop in Hold’em vs. Dealer?

  With any pair from 3s up, any ace, any suited king, K-5 offsuit or better, Q-6 suited or better, Q-8 offsuit or better, J-8 suited or better and J-10 offsuit. Check everything else, including pocket 2s.

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