Playing Draws in NL B&M

What are your feelings about betting/playing draws? I have a rep (earned for most part) as being very tight and most people believe me when I place a bet. Very rarely do I completely bluff and most times I like to have at least a couple outs. Other players at the table even comment/joke when I come into a hand. I need to exploit this as my hand reading abilities improve, but that's a different topic.

I very rarely raise with draws, even nut draws in position. I figure at times I'd rather get more callers. Problem is when the draw hits, I rarely get paid.

Many of my hands don't go to showdown (draws or not). I'm wondering if, as a rule I just evaluate: position, opponents, my draw and vary my play to make it more difficult for opponents to put me on a hand/draw. Sometimes, bet aggressively, sometimes not.

[stu-unger]

i think the question u r asking is very situation dependent. please post a sample hand or 2 and im sure u will get some imput

OK, here goes:

Hero in Cutoff w/ K /images/graemlins/diamond.gifQ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

3 limpers (Blinds $3-5), Hero & button limps (Do I raise here?)

Flop: A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif8 /images/graemlins/club.gif

Checked around to me--bet or check (Pot about $35)? If bet, how much?

Say a bet of $15 or $20 comes at you on this flop? Call? Raise? Dump if only headsup?

No diamond on turn? What then--maybe opponent dependent (and your reputation and position)?

I understand no "always", but I feel I play this type of hand too weakly. I also know drawing can be death in NL, especially if people lead out with proper bet amounts to make it mathematically unsound to call/play.

[JFB37]

I would have played this one differently. I would have raised pf and then bet the flop.

Since you didn't bet, and everyone limped, I would have bet on the flop. The amount to bet here is interesting. I actually think you want to bet enough to make other draws call you. There are a few cards that make other draws but not yours but I run that risk here.

If a bet of $15 into a $35 pot comes around, call that every time. You have 9 diamonds and 3 other jacks that give you the nuts. That's 35:12. You are getting 50:15.

No diamond on the turn? There are too many variables to give a clear answer. Did you call or bet on the flop? If you bet, who called you -- the button or someone who had checed in front of you?

[stu-unger]

if it is checked to me i pot this flop in the co.

if a bet of 15 is led into me i raise to 45-50ish and hope to take it down or peel off a free turn. (this is if it is heads up)

if a bet of 15 is to me multi-way i'm calling and re-evaluating the turn.

[ QUOTE ]
I also know drawing can be death in NL, especially if people lead out with proper bet amounts to make it mathematically unsound to call/play.

[/ QUOTE ]

All of this is true, in general, but you have to make sure you are considering your implied odds. Harrington On Hold 'Em suggests, for example, that with one card to come and the pot offering you 3:1 to hit your flush, you can call, because villain will likely pay off enough of a bet to give you +EV on the play.

As for the hand you posted: I think you should bet the flop, maybe half or two-thirds of the pot. It was checked to you on a suited flop, so probably nobody has an ace. That gives you your flush outs, your jacks to the straight, and it probably means your six king and queen outs have some value, too (maybe you discount your six king and queen outs to two to account for the board).