Borgata $2/$5 flush draw semi-bluff

[brianr]

Game has been pretty loose preflop, but tight postflop. Standard preflop raise of $25-30 has been getting 2 or even 3 callers, but not many hands are going all the way to the river. I have run up the largest stack at the table by getting horrifically lucky early on, and then from using the stack to buy pots on scary flops, etc. - so far I have not been caught bluffing once, but the clock seems to be ticking...

Dealt J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] on button; 2 limpers ahead of me; I limp; SB calls; BB checks.

Flop: 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (Pot $25)

SB (has $250) bets $15; 2 callers. I make it $100 to go.

Question 1: Rate my play to this point in the hand.

SB pretty quickly moves all-in, making it $150 more to me. With $405 in the pot, and $150 to call, I call, figuring that I'm getting the odds for the call.

Question 2: Rate this call.

Question 3: Clearly, I was only getting the right odds on this call due to my money that I had already put into the pot. In other words, if he simply went all in on the flop I would not have had the right odds for the call - does this fact change your estimation of how I played this hand?

Thanks for your help. This happened a few weeks ago and it's been on my mind since.

[ChiefJustis]

Question 1:

I would not put in a semi-bluff raise against more than one and sometimes 2 opponents for the squeeze effect. With a bettor and 2 callers the chances of having fold equity are zero making it a waste of chips. ESPECIALLY in a limped pot that flops low. Make the call and hope to win a big pot when the flush hits, if the turn betting gets to big and it very well may, you can make a good fold.

Question 2: Insta Call

Questions 3: I think your asking if you should call if he pushes the flop, it really depends on your read of the player, keep in mind your a favorite against a pair lower than 9's.

J

[brianr]

My main thinking on the original raise was that I wanted to chase out a higher flush draw, if out there -

[Mench]

hand is fine. you will never fold a higher flush draw ever. welcome to live poker!

[wpr101]

Of course you have an easy call as played.

I prefer flat calling the flop.

[yoshi86]

standard. calling the first time around is fine too

[jad14]

No preflop raise from you? SB would have to think about your flop raise or missed this hand if you raised preflop. He could have two pair now, which has you putting in money in a worse spot.

[paradroid12]

I'll be really detailed, just for fun...

Sounds like the basic east coast $2/5 game: limp, call, fold. You should raise PF to $30-40. Any outcome you get here is favorable: 1. a multi-way pot with the best multi-way pot hand there is (JTs) on the button; 2. heads up in position against something marginal (meaning you can safely CB just about any flop); 3. take down the $20 with 0 risk. If you get RR pre, you can dump it at minimal loss or play implied odds and try to crack a big pair for a huge pot (and you have a good hand to do it).

Call flop unless you have a good read on SB. The first position bet at an unraised rag flop usually is strong (read, he wants you to raise). Plus there are a lot of turn cards that can help you: 7, 9, 10 (though it makes another straight), J, and heart.

Also, since you failed to raise PF, your hand is transparent. It looks like overs with a draw. The only hands SB could put you on are A8 and 44, and maybe 6s. Not sure how you play, but I'm guessing you raise PF with 8s in this spot, and also maybe with 6s. So ... when you raise the flop, you're playing your hand face up, and you can be sure he's got at least 2p when he's pushing over you. You have to call for the pot odds, but taking an uber-cheap turn would've been much better.

In answer to your questions:
1. You played weak PF and donked the turn.
2. Instacall, but if you brick out, you kick yourself for putting $250 into an unraised pot (with only $40 dead) against a real hand when you were just on a draw.
3. This is something you should be thinking of BEFORE you say "make it $100." As Doyle says, don't go broke in a nothing pot. You succeeded in pricing yourself in on your draw, but at the end of the day you put $250 into a $600 pot on a J high flush draw. No bueno.

I hope you got there though.

[brianr]

thanks for the replies. he had the straight. a heart came on the turn.

[RiverHebrew2]

yea I gamble and call with these pot odds... ~3:1 and good for metagame IMO