35+3...1st hand.........now what?!

[bluefeet]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

CO (t1550)
Button (t1490)
SB (t1480)
Hero (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
MP (t1480)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls t20, MP calls t20, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls t20, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t100) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t60</font>, Hero calls t60, UTG folds, MP calls t60, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to t120</font>, SB calls t60, <font color="#CC3333">Hero .......

what a mess. could button have A7/K7? would he raise despite the better/callers without it? maybe limping on a big pocket pair scaring off the 8 holder and/or a flush drawer?

perhaps i could have raised myself, giving it up to a reraise from the button.

what would you do here? reraise min, cave to a re-reriase? call &amp; throw some chips in on the turn to get a reaction? fold?

[gumpzilla]

I pop it to 450 or 500 or so. Why? This is a board with lots of draws. I'd really like to try and lose SB and MP here, since they look to be on some kind of draw, figuring the button is probably going to stick around. I really don't think he needs a 7 to make that minraise, though it's certainly a possibility. Some other hands I think he could do that with: A8, flush draw, 99, T9, 65, etc. Find out where you are. If you raise and button blasts over the top, then I think you can probably fold relatively guiltlessly and still have 2/3 of your stack.

The other line I could conceive of is to call this raise, figure the SB will likely check to you on the turn, allowing you to lead out for about 1/2-2/3 pot on a blank turn. This will allow you to get away cheaply if the flush draw comes in, and will act as a pretty good blocking bet. If that got a caller, I'm probably check-calling the river; if it gets raised, I'm probably folding.

It's a pretty tricky hand. (EDIT: Forgot to mention, but I think I probably go ahead and raise the SB when it gets to me the first time instead of calling. Your hand isn't so huge that you can play it slowly with this many draws out there. I think you'll leave yourself with a simpler decision if you play this faster.)

[swarm]

What are you doing only calling SB's bet of 60? There is straight and flush draws all over the place, you needed raise to at least 150 - 250 when the SB led out. You missed out on a good chance to gain information.

The pot is so big now that if you re-raise you are going to have to re-raise another 500 to take away pot odds to any draws.

I think I call, hope for a blank on the turn, and put up a big bet on the turn.

[bluefeet]

I agree completely. The notion of slowplaying w/ 5 in the pot on that board was a HUGE mistake. I should have folded for punishment!

At this point, I was torn between the reraise, or call &amp; hit the turn. The call is probably more approriate...like you said, given the fact that a reraise might very well be called by one or more - STILL requiring me to do something with the turn.

I guess the bigger picture is the difficult reality that someone might have 7 bigger kicker. Hard to let go...

Thanks for both of your advice.