I forgot how to play

[Ric]

My first hand of regular limit in about 3 weeks, and I forget what's best on the flop. I was torn between calling and raising.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, 1 fold, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (6 SB) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero ?

[SoCalPat]

Raise. In all likelihood, you have the best hand and best draw at this point, and you want to protect your hand against overcards. The more money you can get the table to put in here, the better.

You really want to charge overcards a heavy price here, and if you catch a club overcard, people won't credit you for the flush because of your flop raise from early position.

Conversely, if it's folded to the flop bettor and you take it down when a blank hits the turn, that's great as well.

In all honesty, I can't think of a good reason for calling here.

[Ric]

[ QUOTE ]
The more money you can get the table to put in here, the better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't I get more by calling than betting? There's still 4 left to act.

[brettbrettr]

Your hand isn't strong enough to invite everyone in. How do you like a pair of nines against a field of 5?

[SoCalPat]

Re-read my second paragraph.

Building pots does you no good if you don't win them. Your first objective is always to win the pot, and you best accomplish that goal here by raising.

There is simply no valid argument for calling here. That there are four to act makes it all the more important that you raise here.

[nepenthe]

You must immediately raise this flop. If overcards decide to call two cold, that's fine because you likely have the best draw barring a higher flush. If overcards drop, that's also fine as it increases the chances of you winning the pot sans the flush getting there. If you are in fact behind at this point, it's OK as you have plenty of outs.

Raising helps to build the pot if people decide to stay in, and helps you win the pot if people drop out - both of which are desirable results. Calling accomplishes nothing. Raise and it's not close.