Jekyl/Hyde flop

[KHALI]

I have recently begun playing poker(started during Paradise's freerolls over Christmas) so I am very inexperienced. Interested in your thoughts on this situation. Sorry I don't have the hand record.

$10+1 NL single table at Paradise, 30/60 blinds and there are 8 players left of equal stack sizes. I am in the BB and am dealt J /images/graemlins/club.gif10 :spade. Four players limp in and I just call(correct? I think so) . The flop comes back 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. So I have top straight but the flop is somewhat scary with all the limpers. I am first to act, how would you proceed? Check raise? Check fold? Bet out? Is this one of those hands where you may be destined to bust?

Thanks

[LetsRock]

I would probably place a pot size bet and fold to someone's big over the top raise. If they have the flush, you're drawing dead. You may just take the pot right there.

The problem comes if you get called. Now what do you do?

Depending on the player(s) (fishermen calling stations or tricky slow play artists?) and how much stack I have compared to the pot, I would want to make another bet that wrecks drawing odds (assuming the board doesn't 4-flush) if my stack can handle it.

Shoving has to be wrong as is any bet that gives them odds to keep drawing. Giving a free card has to be bad, but it may be better to risk giving away the pot, then to make a bet that wrecks your stack. If my stack can't handle a half-pot sized bet, then I probably go into check/fold mode.

It's weak, but in tournaments, stack management is crucial.

[KHALI]

Thanks for your thoughts. I actually bet out about 2/3 pot sized bet , was raised by an early position player who in turn was reraised all-in by a let player. I folded but the early player called which confused me. Early player shows A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif10 /images/graemlins/club.gif which gave him nut flush and straight draw??? and the late player turned up QQ. River hit an ace so early won with pair of aces. I thought I made the smart play to fold against such a strong flush possibility but afterwards obviously not happy. Good news is I lasted longer than both of these players(actually got a lot of my chips from this early player later) and made the money.

[LetsRock]

In a tournament situation, I think you made a very good laydown. It's tough to lay down that good of a hand and you hate to see that it would have been good.

But it's all about survival. You smashed their drawing odds and didn't risk your stack by calling the QQ all-in. (I think that both other players are fools unless they were against the wall.)

Glad to hear you got to see the fruits of your patience pay off by outlasting these crazy players.

I was hoping to see a few other responses on your quearion, because it really is a very tough call (at least it is to me).

[KHALI]

I also think I made the right decison to laydown and it did work out in the end although with all their chips first place would have been a strong possibility.
In retrospect I think I should have checked. If I had made the flush I surely would have looked to trap in that situation so my betting out screamed bluff or that I caught part of the flop and was testing where I stood in the hand. I think a check call or a check raise(depending on other players actions and bet size/pot size) would have been a better stategy and if the all in happened I saved my 200+ chips.

[LetsRock]

IMO, your best shot at taking that pot (even as astrong as your hand was), was to bet out and take it down.

If you had checked, you leave yourself very vulnerable for a weak bluff attempt. If you had checked and the final player to act had made even a minimum bet, you'd have a hard time making the call, fearing an under-played, made flush looking to get a little more for his hand.

You gave yourself a shot at the pot, and made a smart laydown, given the conditions. Too bad the flop was so ugly. I hate when that happens.