Nut straight with a four flush on the board

[Luke]

Here's a hand from an afternoon 2/4 game at Party. It's been moderately loose and passive. 5 limpers to me in the SB. I complete with J /images/graemlins/club.gifT /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. The big blind checks the option. 7 of us to flop:


Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I check, check, UTG limper bets, 4 callers, I raise, BB folds, original bettor 3-bets, MP calls, 2 folds, button calls, I call. What do you think of the checkraise, then call? Anyone cap? 4 to the turn for 21 small bets (minus the rake):

[Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif] 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

So the flush gets there, let's see what happens. I check, UTG bets, both of the other players fold??, so I call. If raised, do you fold? How about if there's one caller? 2 to river:

[Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/spade.gif] 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

Bitter sweet. The straight gets there but so does a fourth spade. UTG is loose but not a total fish. I never put him on a flush draw, but there's some chance he holds something like K /images/graemlins/spade.gifQ /images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif7 /images/graemlins/club.gif, or Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif (unlikely but possible). Of course he could be just as unhappy about the 4th spade as I am. With this in mind, what's your play of the river?

Results to follow.

[Guido]

Flop:
I would bet out and call a raise. You have 6 good outs and 2 which are probably no good.

Turn: When everybody folded on the turn I would probably just call.

River: If you think he isn't on a flush draw I would bet into him and fold to a raise or just call him down.

[Luke]

I thoughts 3 options were worth considering:

-betting and folding to a raise
-checkraising and folding to a 3-bet
-check-calling

I felt the pot was too large at this point to bet and allow him to make a play at me with a (bluff) raise. I also felt there was a really good chance of him betting regardless of his hand so check-calling made sense if I wanted to get to a showdown while getting in one last bet.

Checkraising seemed reasonable to me. I felt there was a very tight range of hands that contained a spade and was consistent with his betting action. By checkraising I would get the maximum money in and could be 99% sure if I was beat as he would most likely only 3-bet with the K /images/graemlins/spade.gif or A /images/graemlins/spade.gif. But I wimped out, and checked and hope he'd bet a non-spade hand. He did bet, I called. I took it down when he showed Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

Does anyone think checkraising would have been crazy?

[Guido]

I don't think that's your best option. He could have Axs all the way. Check-call is probably best. Be happy, you won.

[Luke]

While I didn't think it was very likely he had Axs, it was a possibility. Good point.

And believe me, I was thrilled to see the pot pushed my way.

[Guido]

Except for the three bet, I would play something like A9s exactly the same.