Michael -


You're right in saying that if the preflop even gets raised once, the pot will be relatively big going into the flop if there are a lot of callers...and this will justify odds in drawing to some interesting hands. This exact situation came up in a session I played last night (or this morning, depending on the way you think about it =)


$4-$8...I had JTo in middle position. There was a caller in front of me, I called, three people called to the button, the SB called, and the BB raised to make it eight to go. We all called, sending 14 SB into the pot preflop. The flop came down Ah Qd 5c. The BB bet out, and I did a quick assessment on the odds of a K hitting on the turn. 47 cards, 4 Kings, 43:4 = almost 11:1...easily worth a call, especially with the hidden value of my hand and the further action I'd get from the BB if I hit. Two of the players behind me called. Needless to say, the Kh came up to put a two-flush on the board, and I hit my gutshot. The BB bet out again, I raised, guy behind me called, other player folded...the BB reraised, I capped, and the other player folded (he figured me out for JT and her for JT, AA, or AK...don't know what he had.) The BB called.


The 8h came out on the river, she checked to me, and I checked it down...small possibility she was on a free-roll with Jh Th and was looking for a checkraise, but I had her pegged for the same hand. I thought about betting to represent the flush, but there's no way she'd lay her hand down with all that action. I didn't think she was on any other flush draw, since the Ah and Kh were out there. We split the pot with our Broadway straights and shared all the dead money from the callers. Not quite the way I wanted it to work out, but I'm not complaining.


In the situation with KK and seeing an A flop, you could play it in a lot of ways. You could bet out immediately and potentially drive people out (since you're going to call anyways...perhaps even call a raise.) See how much action you'll get and who's willing to stick around. However, if the flop comes all suited with the Ace (and you don't have that suit,) you're dead. So pick your spots carefully, just as any good poker player will do.