I tossed a winner. 3-6 Hold'em Hand

I limp UTG with J-9s(spades), three others limp, no small blind at this casino, blind checks. 5 people see the flop.


Flop: J-8-10 all hearts


Blind checks, I check, guy on my left eagerly bets, all call, I drop.


I knew the guy who bet likes to bet all flush and outside straight draws in addition to top pair/decent kicker, two pairs, and better.


A jack comes on the turn and he checks, as does everybody.


No forth heart comes on the river and I would have won.


Questions:(1)Should I have called until a forth heart fell? (2)Should I routinely bet out in this situation? (If I had been last to act, or with only one player to act behind me I would have bet. Also, if all the other players had not called the bettor, I would probably have calld him down, or at least until a forth heart hit.)


[It seems like there are two camps of thought on early postion post-flop strategy; (1)Half seem to advocate betting out to see where you stand. (2) The other half say, "Why not check and see what happens." I usually check top pair/mediocre kicker against four or more other players.]


Guy who bet the flop had 9 of hearts & ten of clubs.

Interesting question and always a situation that occurs to all of us. On one hand yes you bet out top pair and look for a good turn on your straight draw as well as improving your pair. If you just get called you really don't know where you stand because someone holding a flush may just call and lay in the weeds. Betting will probably isolate you and the person who is holding the flush, worse case scenerio I believe. I think a lot of it comes down to knowing your opponents in this sutuation but if you don't and based on your position I say fold.

You have to be cautious with these boards obviously, but with no significant action (raising) going on, I'd call here. This is similar to having a pair on the board. There is no guarantee someone has trips.


Given the way the hand played out, I would have called the flop, and bet the turn. If I'm not raised on the turn (and any flush but the nut flush almost HAS to raise me here) then I bet the river as well. If I'm raised on the turn, I call with my possible best hand and full house redraw.


I had a hand like this last night where the flop was something like 4 5 9 of hearts, and I had Ad9c. I raised on the button to protect the hand, and bet again when another 9 came on the turn, and had no callers when I bet the river.

"I had a hand like this last night where the flop was something like 4 5 9 of hearts, and I had Ad9c. I raised on the button..."


Being on the button makes these situations a little easier to handle. Early position SUCKS!

I think you can check-fold here for these three reasons even if nobody else has a made flush.


1. If somebody else has a Jack, they probably have a better kicker than you and you'll be paying that person off on the river if no flush or straight is made. You certainly don't want to see a 9 come on the turn or river (unless it comes with another Jack, of course) since you'll be beaten by any stiff Q or 7.


2. Even somebody holding the little 2h has a superior draw to you. The big hearts are going to see the river card no matter what comes on the turn. So not only may you be currently beat by a bigger Jack but there are also superior draw out there as well.


3. Somebody else could be holding a stiff 9 as well. If a Q or 7 comes and a straight is good, you may have assumed extraordinary risk and only end up splitting this pot.


Despite the open-ended straight, I'd check-fold. There are LOTS of ways to lose money on this hand and not very many ways to win.

I generally will not limp UTG with J9s unless it is a weak-passive game. If I were in your position and limped like you did and got the same flop, I will bet. Having the top pair with an open ender is IMO, an excellent position to semi-bluff. You have 8 good outs discounting the 2 hearts with 9:1 odds. Also, the flush flop would scare anybody except maybe the one holding the A or K of the suit. If you are raised, then you can fold. If called and a rag falls on the turn, I'll bet again and maybe check on the river. If an opponent raises you on turn with a rag then you will have a clearer conscience to fold. HEFAP has a chapter on this type of hands/flop. JMO

The real question is why would you call utg with J-9s unless you know the players so well that you can anticipate their actions. You need lots of callers to justify playing this hand plus you may face raises from later positions. Just my opinion, but I would have tossed it before the flop.

I agree with your analysis, but you can also add the

danger of an overcard. You already pointed out

that big hearts are going to stay to the river.

An ace or king is likely to hit someone.

"The real question is why would you call utg with J-9s.."


Mason Malmuth's 'Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players'(21st edition), Loose Game Section. p166


"..if you are in a loose passive game where they usually call, but only occasionally raise, you should play any Axs UTG. You should also play a hand like J9s under the gun, and anything better. You should play these hands because...."

You made a big mistake by dropping here. You probably should have bet or check-raised the flop. With three hearts on board, and all those callers, it's likely that they have a bunch of hearts spread around between them, and are all drawing. Most people who flop a flush, especially if it's small, will raise the flop. I don't always assume someone flopped a flush when I flop a good hand on a one suited board. Generally I raise, then might think about dropping if I get reraised, or of course if a fourth of that suit comes. Assumption will get you in trouble in this game. Don't assume intelligence.


Dave in Cali