Good flush draw or good rationalization?

[SoBeDude]

Online 20-40

pretty decent player limps in MP. Horrible player raises on the button. Decent player who would 3bet to isolate Horrible if he really had a hand, calls in SB. I figure I'm getting 7 to 1 to call with my suited 2gap in the Big Blind.

So I call with 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif 4 /images/graemlins/club.gif MP calls as well.

Flop is 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif A /images/graemlins/club.gif K /images/graemlins/club.gif

So I have a nice flush draw.

With both the A and K of flush out on the board, I think it is less likely than usual that I may be up against another flush draw. If I bet out here, I'll surely get raised. I'm probably going to have to spend 2 bets to see the turn, and if I don't hit, another $40 on the turn to see the river. So its going to cost me a likely $80 for my 3-1 shot.

Looking at the pot, there is currently 4 big bets. I check.

MP bets out, Horrible raises. SB folds. I think about the odds to chase and I call 2 cold. MP calls. I really didn't think that MP would 3bet here, as there is really no hand he'd 3bet here that he wouldn't have raised preflop. And he's not a slowplayer.

So the pot has 11 SBs, and I'm sure MP will call, providing 12 SBs and 2 to me to call.

On the turn, the pot will be at least 7BBs (assuming Horrible bets again). Taking in the one BB I must put in now, and the one I must put in on the turn, I have to put 2BBs in to a 7 BB pot (If MP calls it will be 8). This is sufficient odds so I call.

Turn is a 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Check, Check, Bet, Call, Call

River is Tc

I bet out, MP folds, Horrible calls. My hand is good.

Played well, or is denial a large river in Egypt?

-Scott

[sweetzer]

Four players preflop is pretty much my criteria for playing a small suited connector in a raised pot. Two gappers though are pushing it a bit, as the straight is harder to hit, and most times I would rather hit the straight than the flush. I agree with your thinking on the rest of the hand, especially about the A and K already on the table. In a related thought, what would be your criteria for calling with a suited ace or an unsuited ace from the big blind in this spot?

[Manzanita]

S.B.D.,

I think that it's an easy fold preflop. Postflop you played the hand fine.

-- Manzanita

[gaylord focker]

I think there are worse things than putting in the two chips preflop. Like you said, you cant even consider folding on the flop. If it were three handed, I would say leading out might be best, cause the A and the K are not really big limp cards so it's possible everyone could have missed this flop. But 4 handed I think checking and calling is fine. The turn and river pretty much play themselves.

[SoBeDude]

In a related thought, what would be your criteria for calling with a suited ace or an unsuited ace from the big blind in this spot?

With 3-4 opponents I'd call with a suited ace here as well, unless the game was very aggressive.

In this situation with these players, with an unsuited ace I'd want at least AJ.

-Scott