Dear Professor Poker,

I got upset when I flaked out of a big pot a few days ago and could have won it. Here's what happened...

I was dealt two queens in the hole. (3-6 hold 'em) The betting was capped before the flop (first time in the past five hours it happened.) The flop comes and it turns out to be a 6, 8, T. Six players are in. By the time the betting comes to me, I owe nine bucks and figure someone has got to have a straight, or a pair of K's or A's in the hole, so I fold. The betting continues on the turn when a 5 shows (no possible flush.) Lastly, on the river, a deuce pops up. Players continue to bet like crazy.

Well, it turned out that the guy raising the most had a pair of J's in the hole, and he won. I ended up losing the chance to make over 150 bucks that hand. The point is, how do I know when my big pair in the hole is beat, and when I should punish the raisers with raises of my own? Any tips would be much appreciated!

Sebastian the Great

Dear Sebastian,

Okay, the betting was capped before the flop and this, according to you, was highly unusual. If I were you I'd have been worried about A's and K's too, but I would not have been too worried about 9-7, the hand that someone would have had to hold in order to hit the straight on the flop. So your fears of a flopped straight where likely unfounded, but with so many (usually tight) players liking the flop enough to stay involved, I'd probably have pitched my queens just like you did.

What I would not have done was lament my decision afterwards. That hand is gone, and the money you might have won is no longer relevant. Play on! As long as you're making the best possible decisions based on the best available information, you just have to let the cards fall as they fall.

How do you know if your big pair in the hole is the best hand? Study your opponents. Find out who likes to raise with little pairs or suited connectors and who only raises with big pocket pairs. That way, when this situation comes around again (and it will) you'll be able to make a more informed decision, and therefore a better one.

Dr. Professor Poker,

What is the purpose of the small blind? If you want to play a hand then you have to ante up to the big blind amount anyhow, so why not just start with an ante of that amount, rather than the extra steps?

Aussie Dear Aussie,

What, indeed, is the purpose of the small blind? In some games, as you know, there is only one blind, equal to the standard small bet in a fixed-limit game ($5 in a $5-10 game, e.g.) The purpose of any blind, of course, is to stimulate the action - make sure there's something in the pot for someone to win. The purpose of the small blind is to stimulate more action, and to give players an interesting, different decision to make, since completing the small blind, or raising with it, is a different proposition from calling or raising the big blind.

The thing that gets me about the blinds is that you have to take them when you're in early position - the worst possible position in hold 'em. It's like a double penalty: You're forced to bet and you're forced to act first. In a just universe (which we know this ain't) you'd take the blind on the button, and the disadvantage of having to bet blind would be mitigated by the advantage of position.

Why isn't it done that way? Don't ask me. I'm just the professor around here.

Got one for the Prof? Send it to John Vorhaus