Flopped a royal . . . but got no action!

[eh923]

Was there any way I could have grabbed more cash in this situation?

In a 2/4 game, I was UTG. I had AK spades, and raised. 3 called my 2 bets cold, then the SB folded and the BB called. Flop was Q,10,J spades. BB checked to me, and I checked...but it checked around. Turn was a medium spade. BB checked to me, and I checked (figuring someone might have made a flush)...but it checked around again. River was a blank. BB checked, I bet, and everyone folded.

After talking with a friend, it seemed that betting the flop might have had a caller or two because of its straight potential. But when the turn came spade, I was surprised nobody tried to steal the pot or bet for value.

[cferejohn]

That's an awfly scary flop for almost anyone. I think your best shot is to bet out on the flop and hope that a spade, K, or 9 comes along. Unfortunately, most monster flops are very scary looking and therefore hard to get value out of. Flopped low quads are brilliant for this reason, but of course it happens quite rarely.

If you were playing at Artichoke Joes you would have made something like $1500 on a 'royal flush' jackpot. Of course, you would have been paying a dollar into this jackpot every hand... /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

[Louie]

The main question for slow-playing is this: if nobody has enough to call now CAN they realistically snag a card that will make them call later? In this case, the turn may accidentally snag someone their small set and may accidentally snag someone a low straight (a 9 comes and they have an 8). But anyway, its not very likely and therefore not very profitable. Your only real advantage to slow playing is that someone may try to steal it.

On the other hand, betting out on the flop will almost always yield a call or two. THEN you can check-raise the turn hoping for the best.

Another problem is that it LOOKS like a slow-play when you raise before the flop, flop a bunch of high cards, and then check.

- Louie

[34TheTruth34]

eh923--

Don't let the fact that you got a bad turn card make you think that slowplaying was not the right play. All of the necessary criteria were there for a slowplay:

1. the pot was small
2. a bet would most likely cause everyone to fold
3. the next card could make someone a second best hand, and
4. the next card cannot make someone a better hand (needless to say /forums/images/icons/smile.gif )

For all of these reasons, slowplaying could very well be the right way to play this hand. Let's say the turn was not a spade. If a turn was an ace or a king, then anyone with a king or ace would have to say in with their straight. Also, someone with just a bare queen or jack probably wouldn't call a flop bet but if the turn paired the queen or jack to give them trips, they would have to call. Since you checked the flop, I believe it's absolutley mandatory to bet the turn here. Checking twice looks way too suspicious. There are hands that I would raise with UTG and still check this flop with, so the fact that you checked doesn't necessarily look like a trap.

The most important thing to take away from this hand is that when your opponents are drawing dead, it's important to maximize the amount of bets you get from them. If they have no chance to draw out, then you need to get as much money as possible as these bets are 100% pure profit. If that means checking the flop to let them catch up, then so be it. The way this particular hand played out, you just absolutely could not make any money on it. Nobody had anything at all. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Ni Han anyway...

[hutz]

As others have said, I'd have bet out. Low limit players are often inclined to take on off on the flop for "half price." You could have then read and reacted to the turn card according to the reaction to your flop bet.

[rtucker5]

I don't think this is a time to slow play on the flop. Look at it from your opponents perspective. You were an UTG raiser and the flop was QJT. This is a flop that almost couldn't have missed you. I think the check looks very suspicous. They may call with straight draws and pairs. In my opinion you have a better chance at getting more money by betting the flop.