small flushes - my biggest loser so far.

[Raiser]

Hey guys. I'm about 1 month into NL play. So far the NL25 tables at Party are bad enough that they hide my mistakes and I can still make money /images/graemlins/wink.gif

I have noticed though that small flushes have cost me a couple of huge pots. Is this just something that happens from time to time or is it symptomatic of poor play on my part?

One of these hands happened this weekend where I got a little crazy on the turn. I guess the reason I pushed was that I liked my hand, but didn't want a higher naked /images/graemlins/diamond.gif sticking around. How much do you raise this turn? Comments on the rest of the hand are, of course, welcome also.

UTG is a little loose and typically stays in hands a little too long. I've identified him as one of the weaker players at the table.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (10 handed)

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

<font color="C00000">UTG ($48.65)</font>
UTG+1 ($19.70)
UTG+2 ($27.40)
MP1 ($65.20)
MP2 ($23.17)
MP3 ($25.18)
CO ($39.70)
Button ($23.50)
SB ($26.25)
<font color="C00000">Hero ($108.45)</font>

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="CC3333">UTG raises to $1</font>, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 calls $1, MP2 calls $1, MP3 calls $1, CO calls $1, Button folds, SB folds, Hero calls $0.50.

Flop: ($6.25) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG bets $3</font>, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $3, MP3 folds, CO folds, Hero calls $3.

Turn: ($15.25) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG bets $5</font>, MP2 folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $104.45 (All-In)</font>, UTG calls $39.65 (All-In).

River: ($164.35) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $164.35

[The Ocho]

small flushes can be a real chip-burner if you don't play them cautiously. Remember, a small flush is always far from the nuts. Also, it is tough to really surprise someone with a flush and bust them, because a flush-possible board is something even the fishiest of fish can see.

suggestions:

1) don't enter pots with small suited hands (including Kxs and Qxs) If you get a free ride in BB, play cautiously. Remember, there is no need to get really involved and invest a lot in a hand that you got to see the flop for free (pot is small) with a hand far from the nuts.

2) SLOW DOWN WITH SMALL FLUSHES, especially in small pots. Here you put a lot of money in on the turn with a hand far from a lock, and the board was paired to boot. Calm down and don't go crazy when you have a very beatable hand. Yes, you should charge people to draw on you, but you may very easily not even be ahead here.

3) once you get more experience, you can open up your hand selection a bit more, but for now I'd tighten up if you are routinely being out-flushed for large amounts of money.

[schwza]

hey... first, i'd have folded before the flop. with that hand, you're HOPING to play a mediocre draw out of position. save the 0.50.

then i would have folded on the flop. if somebody's holding KJ, KK, or JJ, you're drawing dead (except the very unlikely straight-flush). with a bet and a call, you have to fear a higher flush draw as well. and if someone has Jx, you can easily hit your flush and then lose when the Jx makes a full house. and you're still out of position so it will be harder to get the money in if you hit and you are ahead.

i like the check-raise on the turn. UTG is pretty likely to have a K or J and will probably bet. i don't think the push on the turn is bad - a pot-sized bet would be $30 here, and there's no reason to let the naked A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif draw and then fold on the river. i probably would have made it 25 (saving a 20 bet for the river), but i think a push is not terrible.

[Raiser]

Thanks guys.

I would like to talk more about the preflop call. I don't see why calling an additional $0.50 is bad after all the callers and I'm closing the action. Surely there are enough flops that I like that this call is okay since I'm getting 11:1 from the pot.

I won't argue that the rest was bad, but the pre-flop call seems just fine to me, unless you are saying that I should fold this since it's obvious that I don't know how to play the hand after the flop /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[The Ocho]

[ QUOTE ]
the pre-flop call seems just fine to me, unless you are saying that I should fold this since it's obvious that I don't know how to play the hand after the flop

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly. You are getting a good price here, but you need to play well after the flop in order for the call to be a good one. Seemingly good calls odds-wise can actually creat huge problems for you down the road in NL. Stay with playing "safe" hands for now until you get a bit more experience. Once you get better post-flop, you can start playing more speculative hands, though usually you'd like to have position when playing a hand like the one you've posted.