[Buckmulligan]

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Normally I'd agree...but something about 5 opponents and me holding 2nd pair and no one will fold...ugh.

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There are several reasons to bet this flop, although I understand your concern. The most important reason, IMO, is it makes the rest of the hand play easier pretty cheaply. Checking seems smart and all, but how do we respond on the turn when one of the players donks into us on a blank card? Betting takes care of that. Furthermore, if we do get called by a number of players, we'll get a free river, and while we only have a couple good outs, every bit counts.