77 when rags flop

[lunchmeat]

UB loose/passive
UTG folds, I call with 77, mp1 calls, mp2 calls, CO calls, button calls, sb calls, bb checks.

Flop: 8c 6d 4h.
Checked to me, I bet, mp1 folds, mp2 raises, CO & blinds call. I call.

Turn: (8c, 6d, 4h) As
SB checks, BB bets, I fold.

Anybody have any thoughts on how I played this one? I'm not so sure myself. For the flop bet the pros seem to be that I could very well have the best hand with 77, and I have 4 (possibly 6) outs if I don't. The biggest con is that I'm out of position and could wait to see if any passive players behind me bet, which would indicate top pair.

On the turn I folded because I didn't want a raise behind me to destroy my gutshot odds if I called the bet. In retrospect I think this was a bad fold because the flop raiser probably just had a pair of eights.

The result was the flop raiser folded after me. The river brought another 8 and it was checked around. The BB won with AQs in a showdown against CO's T9 and SB's AJs.

[Dynasty]

77 as second pair when the top card is an 8 is a tricky hand to play. Often, your hand will be good unimproved. It'll be good most of the time in short-handed pots on flops like 8,4,2.

In this hand, you've got second pair and a gut-shot straight draw- a very good hand. Sometimes players will have a 5 or rarely T9 /images/graemlins/smile.gif to negate your set outs. You can almost always count on the 5's too give you a winning hand. And those are the times when you aren't already winning.

Your flop bet is very good and you shouldn't be upset if somebody raises you trying to get overcards like AQ and AJ to fold. As you saw, the flop can be raised by hands that can't beat top pair (a great raise by T9).

Your turn fold is definitely a mistake. I think you've got to consider your hand at least 5-out hand and make the call in a big 9.5 big bet pot. It's possible the pot could be raised behind you. But, unless you are extremely sure (90%+?), you can't let go of a good draw.