300 NL: Low End Straight on Draw-Heavy Board

[mxp2004]

This hand comes from a live 1/2 NL game, 300 max buyin. I am relatively new to the table and have played only one hand of note. I played TT aggressively from CO, but laid it down after substantial turn raise from button, even though TT was overpair to a dry board. Although neither of us showed our hands to the table, the laydown drew a lot of comments about the tight play. Button privately showed me a set, and so laydown was correct.

On this hand, I started with $200 behind. I called on the button with 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] after three limpers. The blinds completed, and six players saw a flop with a $12 pot.

The flop was 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. This gave me a flopped, but low end, straight.

Everyone checked to the CO, who bet $12. I raised to $36, and only an EP and MP called. Both were deepstacked, with over $300 behind. Pot now was $132.

The turn was the K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], and the board now read as follows: 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

The EP led out the turn for $100. The MP folded.

EP was neither too tight, nor too loose. He was aggressive with hands that he thought were best.

I have about $160 left behind. It's either all-in or fold. What would you choose?

[HoldEmNewby]

I'mma nit pick and say raise more on the flop.

Unless I had a read that EP player would never slow play a set or 2 pair, I like a push.

[MLBisRigged]

easiest shove ever?

[mxp2004]

[ QUOTE ]
easiest shove ever?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm glad you feel this way. I pushed, and EP turned over 89 for the nut straight. I won't say that I'm not bummed about the outcome, but I'd feel better about it if my reasoning was "correct" when I made my decision.

I felt that his line was consistent with lots of hands that I could beat. This would include sets, two-pairs, overpairs, and combo hands/draws (e.g., 7s8s, KsQs, etc.). Plus, without knowing the exact odds, I felt that flopping a straight was a pretty rare event, and so while 89 was obviously within his range of possible hands, the probability of this precise matchup between us was low. I was wrong, but life goes on.

I posted this hand for two reasons. First, I caught a lot of flak from the table for getting my money in with the "idiot end" of the straight. The MP who folded said that he laid down a set because he "knew" that one of us had the nut straight. Big deal. I asked him if he knew that both of us had flopped straights because that was my situation.

In addition, I have flopped a straight three times in the last couple of weeks, and I'm 0-2-1 on them. Both losses mirrored the circumstances of the hand that I posted. The tie was one where I flopped the nut straight along with another player. This made question whether the probability of flopping a straight is as low as I suspected. However, I've done some researching, and while I've seen various figures, it looks like the odds of flopping a straight when starting with connectors is in the 1-2% range.

In my live game play, I haven't been running well for a while. Hands like this one have been coming up a lot for me, and I needed a check on whether I'm overplaying very good, but non-nuts, hands. At least in this case, I may have gotten my money in with the worst of it, but it sounds like the decision that I made reasonable. I feel a lot better if that is the case.