3rd street play

[Spencer C]

Alright so here's the situation (STUD HIGH ONLY) let's say you have something like (2s 4s)7s or (8h 2h)4h (three low cards to a flush.) Your suit is completely live, but you are in one of the first three positions to act after the bring in. In all cases the action is folded to you, and you are in the Party Poker $5/$10 game ($.50 ante, $2 bring in) and you figure that there is around a 30%-40% chance that the bet will be completed behind you.... what do you do with this hand??? Also what do you do with the same hand in the Party $3/$6 game ($.50 ante, $1 bring in, however more like a 45%-55% chance that the bet will be completed behind you??)

[Scary_Tiger]

Both are folds for me. But I have never played Stud Hi in my life. They just sound like easy folds.

[cgrohman]

What are the average number of players in any given pot? How long do they stay in? How poor is their later street play? What are the cards behind you?

I find that the most important decisiosn with these types of ahnds are made on 4th street. You brick- they MUST hit the muck.

[Spencer C]

i intentionally left some of these questions open, i think the 3rd street is the obvious decision here, the most important decision is whether overall a hand like 3 low LIVE flush cards are worth playing, any oppinions welcome..

[Andy B]

[ QUOTE ]
You brick- they MUST hit the muck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not if it's five ways, your suit is still very live, and your call closes the action.

As for the original query, about the only way I wouldn't play these hands is if I thought that it was highly likely that the action would be heads-up for one bet, and I was also convinced that I would have very little chance of buying the antes by raising. I'm an eternal optimist, and I would basically never fold a live three-flush in a low-limit game. I would usually limp in early position in either game.

[iamastud]

I would say limp with the intension of calling a raise, including the situation if it is headsup with you and the raiser. however, if there is a double raise, i would drop the hand unless you have some high cards with your flush or it is a 3 cd strt flush. many players will stillcall the double raise with a 3 flush regardless of the quality of the flush cards, but i suggest that to call a double raise can only be done with high quality flush cards or is a very loose game and you have or expect 4 or more callers. and then in that case you will likely take this hand to 5th, even if you don't suit on 4th, unless someone pairs their door card. if you are in the hand and suit on 4th and someone pairs their door card, it would seem that you would need to continue to river if your cards are live and pot is of ample size. sorry, but i cannot define exactly what ample would need to be equal to in order to continue.

[SweetLuckyMe]

Limp and see 4th at a typical passive table. You can call a raise but you can't be the only one calling. If it's raised by a big card, then folded around so that only 2 of you are left, then dump it. You want 3+ in the hand chasing for it to be potentially profitable.

[Jacob_Gilliam]

Sweet has it right. You can call as long as you can anticipate the pot being three way. If the game has benn big card raises, everybody folds, then dump on third. If it has been big card raises, and one or two people call the raise, then call as well.

[frappeboy]

I'd limp in with 1 or less of my suit out.. 2 or more muck.

[Spencer C]

Got some very helpful responses here, thanks everybody... I find that when i'm in these types of games if i end up making the flush by 5th (three cards to my flush showing) it KILLS my action unless someone has three of a kind or a straight; at any rate I'd feel EXTREMELY lucky to have two callers on 5th with three cards to a flush showing... does this sway anyone's decision toward making the fold initially???

Also i've really tried to shy away from two betting 4 flushes on 4th; (occasionally if I feel my flush draw is very good I'll use the old 7CSFAP play and wait and raise 5th for value) but are there any situations where any of you feel two betting the four flush on 4th is an esspecially good play? (besides trying for the free card)*