Tip # 26 of 52, Guidelines on playing a multiway pot when two face cards flop.

Again, we assume that four or more players are in the hand. For this example, the flop is K-Q-3 of three different suits.

If no one has bet yet, bet if you have a king or better, as this is probably the best hand. You can call a bet with a queen and a decent kicker. Your kicker should be a 10 or higher, as it is capable of developing a straight draw in addition to making two pair. However, if the bettor is a very tight player who bets only strong hands, it's probably safe to assume that your queen is not the best hand. Thus, it should be folded.

When facing a bet, raise with A-K or better virtually every time. Sometimes it is correct to raise with lesser hands, though, when doing so will help protect your hand. For example, in a five-way pot, if the first three players check, the fourth bets, and you are next with K-T, you should definitely raise. This makes it difficult for players with hands like A-J to call behind you. A-J poses some danger to your K-T here, as it can catch one of three aces or one of three tens. If a 10 comes, you are likely to lose several bets, as it makes you two pair. Players drawing with six outs are often correct to pay one small bet to draw. Your raise takes this play away from them, and makes it a mistake for them to continue with the hand.

If you hold J-T, for an open-ended straight draw, you should call. There is no point in raising with this hand, as all you will do is knock out the other players behind you. Since you are drawing to the nuts, and won't win the pot unless you make your hand, it doesn't really affect your chances of winning whether there are two or 20 players in the pot. It is good to keep everyone in, so that they can pay you off those times that you do make your hand. This is one situation in which checking and calling is the correct play most of the time. The main exception is when you think a bet might induce everyone else to fold, but in a multiway pot with two face cards on the board, someone almost certainly has a pair with which to call you down.