KQJ STR8

[jordiepop]

shoudl this be played like a regular 3 str8. if you catch an ace you have a gut shot. how do you guys play it?

[electrical]

With two suits, especially if my door beats the board, I'd play it strongly. Three suits, dead cards or a re-raise in front will make it a fold for me. You want to be drawing several ways (to a big pair, to the straight, and if possible to a backdoor flush) and you want to be either closing the action or raising from up front. Calling in the middle with an aggressive player yet to act is a trouble spot.

Late position with a few limpers, you have excellent drawing odds with a hand like this. Early position, you want to thin the field, folding-out small pairs that currently beat you, and you hope to pair up, make a good draw or have a threatening board in one or two more streets. If you brick 4th, just give up.

An Ace is a good card to semi-bluff with, but a doesn't generally warrant a bet on its own merits. On 4th, betting after catching an Ace won't necessarily get you free cards either, because the Ace will probably put you out of position for the next street, and checking there after betting and getting called is asking to get the pot taken away from you. A gutshot with a big pair or a four-flush is certainly a playable hand, depending on what you put your opponents on.

If you catch an Ace and bet your board, but all you have is a draw and you face resistance, treat it like a failed bluff and cut your losses. These hands have the potential to make strong draws, but they have no showdown value. Don't go too far down the pike with no hand. Check and hope they check behind.

A hand like (KQ)J99 without a flush draw will depend on what you put your opponents on. Specifically, if you think a pair of nines has a chance to be the best hand at the moment, you can play it strongly, with 15 outs (twice) to improve.

[Jeffage]

This is a big "it depends." Can you possibly steal the antes? How love are your pair cards? Straight cards? Has anyone limped? How do your opponents play? What's the structure of the game? Etc, etc, etc.

Jeff

[Andy B]

As Jeff sez, it all depends, but I tend to play it fast, hoping that people fold. I'm hoping for a shorthanded pot so that I can potentially win by making a pair or two pair. Straight draws tend to suck. You need multi-way action in order for them to be profitable, but once you have many opponents, it becomes less likely that your straight will hold up. And straights are kinda hard to make anyway.

[MrBlueNose]

As stated, it depends big time. Post a few KQJ hands and we'll tell you what to do in each situation.