Did I play this wrong, or does he suck?

[Diplomat]

N/L home game, dealer's choice. This hand is HE, .25/50 blinds.

Players in the hand:

BB, has a stack of about $45, pretty loose pre-flop, tight on the flop.
Me, I have a stack of about $35.
Button, has about the same as me. Plays loose everywhere.

I am in middle position with Q /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 9 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif and open-call. (mistake?) Everyone else folds to the button, who raises a dollar. The BB calls, I call, we take the flop three handed. The flop comes:

9 /forums/images/icons/club.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 5 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

giving me top pair and a flushdraw.

BB checks, I bet $4. The button calls, the BB calls.

Turn is the 4 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

The BB checks, I bet $6, button calls. BB smiles and says, "looks like I'm hooked. See you at the river" and tosses in six white chips.

River is 7 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

The BB hesitates and checks. I check, and the button bets $5. The BB hesitates again, and raises all-in. I fold, and the button calls with the rest of his stack.

The BB turns over K /forums/images/icons/club.gif Q /forums/images/icons/club.gif for a king-high flush, and the button turns over red sixes for a one-card straight.

Obviously my fold on the river was correct, but I am asking for critique on all other streets. I think had I gone all-in on the flop I would have taken it down right then, but I also thought a $4 bet would knock everyone out but overpairs, big draws, or better. Any thoughts are welcome and appriciated.

-Diplomat.

[MD_]

Well, let's see here: The button raises a buck to 1.5, and three of you take the flop making a 4.5 pot. You bet 4 dollars. Not bad, but you coud've bet 5 or 6. All call making 16.5 in the pot. You bet 6. Why? I think you need to check or go all-in here. You're giving everybody ample odds to draw out on you, and saving yourself some money to lose when they get there. Nobody's shown any agression, so you figure to be best, but even if you're not you have many outs.

-MD

[Diplomat]

Thanks MD.

Yeah, the turn card added the other flushdraw...I should have gone all-in on the turn and blown both of them out. Any merit to checkraising all-in on the flop? I think the button would have pushed out a whimpy bet...maybe 2 dollars...if checked to.

[MD_]

The trouble with check-raiseing the flop is that if it gets checked around there are lots of cards that will look very scary on the turn. Also, if you check-raise all-in you'll have to overbet the pot by a great deal and your opponents won't make a mistake. i.e. If they're behind they'll fold, otherwise they'll call. You could check-raise to say 10. He bets 2 (now 6.5 in pot) you raise to 10 (now 16.5 in pot and he has to call 8). At this point he's in a tough place with a draw. It's almost worth calling, but not quite. Now you've got about 20 left for a pot sized bet on the turn when he (hopefully) misses. This would have been the best way to check-raise, but I like betting better. If your top pair was queens or higher, you would be more inclined to check-raise.

-MD