Flopped a Flush -- Now What?

[EasilyConfused]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool (http://poker-tools.flopturnriver.com/Hand-Converter.php) from FlopTurnRiver.com (http://www.flopturnriver.com) (Format: 2+2 Forums)

CO ($53.55)
Hero ($56.05)
SB ($49)
BB ($45.30)
UTG ($10.75)
UTG+1 ($13)
MP1 ($50)
MP2 ($23.75)
MP3 ($35.05)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP3 calls $0.50, CO calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB checks.

Flop: ($2.25) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $1.5</font>, BB folds, MP3 calls $1.50, CO folds.

Turn: ($5.25) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
MP3 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $3.5</font>, MP3 folds.

Final Pot: $8.75

I'm wondering if I should have checked the turn here.

If he has an ace I'm not sure he calls a turn bet, but he might call one on the river, or stab at the pot himself after my check.

On the other hand, if he has Q,J or 10 of hearts I give him a free shot to beat me. What do you think?

[pokerchap]

betting is correct here. you almost always want to bet with the best hand, i think.

your goal is to build this pot because you have a very strong hand.

let him make the mistake of drawing without odds.

[homeslice]

You played it well. You want to bet the turn here, villian with just a picture heart in his hand will call here. You have to make him pay to draw.

[Rochus]

[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, if he has Q,J or 10 of hearts I give him a free shot to beat me. What do you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because of this you definatly want to bet more on the flop and on the turn. I think you should never want to slowplay this, ever. This kind of flops do happen and most of the time you don't make a lot of money on them so just try to get in as much as possible. If you're up against a higher flush you just got owned by varience since unless a 4th heart comes up or you have a good read on villain you just can't lay this down.

[Dave I]

You have got to keep betting as another heart either kills your action or beats you.

[4_2_it]

Just keep betting. A 4th /images/graemlins/heart.gif either beats you or kills your action. A paired board can only beat you. Just keep betting, if villain folds he wasn't investing another dime anyway.

[kurto]

When in doubt, err on the side of betting. Your hand cannot improve, anyone calling can.

[crookdimwit]

No mistake there. Your bet was good. Just no luck in your opponent having a hand worth sticking around with...

And if villain had been holding the Q, J, or T of hearts, why risk giving him a free card?

[ChipStorm]

What everyone else said, and pot the flop -- you're giving a dry high /images/graemlins/heart.gif too good a price to continue. As a much wiser and better player once said to me, "They never believe you flopped the flush; just bet."

[bmk67]

Pot the flop. QJT/images/graemlins/heart.gif may (incorrectly) call (or raise!), a set will probably raise, two pair will probably raise, a made flush will probably raise. Other hands you crush may call. Anyone who's calling a buck fifty is going to call a PSB as well, and you make the magnitude of his mistake greater, which is a good thing. Your goal here should be to get as much money in the pot way the best of it, and protect your hand.

When no heart comes on the turn, and the board doesn't pair, bet enough to make it incorrect for hearts or sets to call (i.e. offer odds worse than 4:1), so bet at least half the pot on the turn - though a full pot bet may scare off hands we want to call. You want him to make a (big) mistake, not shake him off. He'll either call or he won't. Don't give a free card to beat you just because you think he won't call. If he checks, and you check behind, you're allowing him to play perfect poker on the turn. Give him an opportunity to make a mistake.

You have a somewhat vulnerable hand that cannot improve, and there is no reason to not bet the turn.

If villian calls the turn, you have to make sure that you make his call for the implied odds incorrect by not paying him off if he makes it there (i.e. a fourth heart falls or the board pairs). If he doesn't get there, v-bet if he checks. I would just call if he bets a non-heart non-board pair river unless you've got a solid read that he's out of line.

[Delphin]

[ QUOTE ]
Just keep betting. A 4th /images/graemlins/heart.gif either beats you or kills your action. A paired board can only beat you. Just keep betting, if villain folds he wasn't investing another dime anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT. Bet the full pot on every street. You would hate Q /images/graemlins/heart.gifT /images/graemlins/club.gif to beat you with a rivered heart.

[orange]

Pot flop. Pot turn. Keep betting.