Beat the Flush

[toby]

Is there any way I should have played these hands differently to avoid the tragic results?


Hand 1:
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (14 SB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(7 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, Button calls, SB calls, BB folds.

Turn: (9.50 BB) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 folds, Button calls, SB folds.
any sense in trying a check-raise a late bet, or is this just giving people infinite odds to draw out when it gets checked around?
River: (12.50 BB) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, Button calls.

Final Pot: 15.50 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero has Ad As (one pair, aces).
UTG+1 has 4s 6s (flush, jack high).
Button has 6d Qs (one pair, sixes).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins 15.50 BB. </font>


Hand 2:
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (4 SB) 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, CO calls, SB calls.
(is this a situation where raising a non-club turn would be better than raising the flop?
Turn: (5 BB) 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls, SB calls.

River: (8 BB) K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls, CO folds.

Final Pot: 10 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
SB has 9c Jc (flush, king high).
Hero has 7d Qh (two pair, queens and sevens).
Outcome: SB wins 10 BB. </font>

[Grease]

You played both fine. Fortunately for you, your opponents are weak and didn't extract maximum amounts of money from you. Check raising the turn in hand 1 is a bad idea, since no one has shown any aggression, and you could give a free card. Raising the flop in hand 1 is fine, because they'll call you regardless with a flush draw, and the SB might not lead out again if he gets a ton of callers. Well played, just bad luck.