A Puzzling Situation

This situation came up in a LLHE game and my friend and I discussed it at length, unable to determine the correct move.


Preflop, my friend open limps in the middle with AQ. Button calls, BB checks. Flop comes A76, two clubs. BB checks, my friend bets, button raises, BB folds. My friend is 100% certain the button is semi-bluffing with a flush draw. Now, what to do? Here's the issue...


Option 1--Raise. My friend says, "I am ahead, button is drawing, I must charge him to draw." However, if my friend raises, the button will be getting roughly 7:1 to call the raise (5 sm bets on flop + 3 pre-flop -1 for rake) and will be correct to call for the turn card. Then, if the flush misses on the turn my friend will bet again. The button will be correct to call again, getting about 5:1.


Option 2--my friend calls the semi-bluff raise and then leads on the turn (assuming the flush misses). In this case the button would be getting 4:1 (after rake) on the turn and would be wrong to call his flush draw.


Which is the correct move? The only thing in HPFAP I could find about this related to loose games. That seemed to indicate option 2 (manipulate pot size to force an error) may be correct.


How would you play this and why? Thanks in advance for any responses!!

Heh. Don't open limp with AQ. That makes all your post-flop decisions that much easier.

The key to your question is that you are "certain." If that's the case, you should three bet the flop, and keep betting unless a flush card comes, then you fold.


The exception would be if you are also fairly sure your opponent would auto bet the turn if you just call. Now you would check raise the turn unless the flush card comes. If that happens you fold.