Nine-seven... SOOTED!

[Guy McSucker]

A hand from Party $25 NL. Why I play here, goodness knows.

Anyway, $30 in my stack, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif7/images/graemlins/spade.gif in my hand. I limp after several others in late-middle position and see an unraised flop of 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif J/images/graemlins/spade.gif , giving me a gutshot and flush draw.

BB ($60 stack) bets $3 into a pot of about $4, and someone calls with a $30 stack.

I decide to play it strongly and raise to $15, which is more or less a pot-size raise. Here is my main question. This raise pot-commits me: I have only $15 left nd will have to call a reraise or a bet on the turn. Should I just push in if I'm going to raise?

BB calls, other player folds. Turn is the 8/images/graemlins/club.gif giving me the nuts, BB checks, I move in, he calls, end of hand. Maybe he filled or hit a higher flush on the river, maybe he didn't. Can't remember.

How would you have proceeded here?

Guy.

[SpaceAce]

I don't think it's wise to commit yourself to the pot with a draw that stands a fair chance of not being good even if it does hit. With "several" other people in the pot, you're really drawing to one of three eights because you can't count on your nine-high flush taking the pot.

SpaceAce

[ML4L]

Hey Guy,

On the flop, either flat-call so that you can get away from the hand or reraise all-in. The hand that has you in the worst shape is the nut flush draw (not a set), so you might want to reraise to get that out (although I don't know if that would work in Party $25). The reraise is a much stronger play against someone who can lay down top pair here. If you're probably just going to be called if you reraise, try to see the turn cheaply.

After the flop, you played the turn fine, obviously.

ML4L

[dogsballs]

I'd be tempted to play softly and meekly with a flop call. In your spot, if you do raise, just shove the lot.

I've cut down on my "strength" plays on small Party games, cos it seems there's just far too much of a chance you'll be called by almost any pair or whatever - then you're just gambling along with them.

[1800GAMBLER]

I raise all in while remember how rare it is one other player will have a flush draw.

Why is everyone all of a sudden crediting any call made by a party player as being a worthwhile hand?