Turn Decision - Call or Raise?

[chrisgs]

Party Poker 2/4 (10 handed)
Hero has A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and is MP1

EP1 limps, EP2(poster) checks, Hero limps, MP3 raises, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, EP1 calls, EP2(poster) folds, Hero calls

Flop(11 SB): J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

SB bets, BB calls, EP1 raises, Hero 3-bets, MP3 folds, SB calls, BB calls, EP1 calls

<font color="blue"> (Good flop for me and I'm likely ahead, better make the flush draws pay)</font>

Turn(11 1/2 BB): 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

SB checks, BB checks, EP1 bets .....

The 3 seems pretty harmless and it's 1 bet to me. I think for a moment before deciding to call or raise. I'm pretty sure that I'm ahead at this point. A raise probably wouldn't drive out any flush draws given the size of the pot. But it may cause non-flush draws to fold.

Do you call and try to get the blinds to call or do you raise and make the flush draws pay?

My decision and results to follow

[scotnt73]

make the flush pay. if you get reraised cap it.

[Festus22]

Raise preflop.

Raise the turn.

[Henke]

When I first read your post, I thought it was close between calling and raising, but reading Festus and Scotts replies made me think about it. You're right that the flushdraw isn't going anywhere when the pot is this big, BUT your raise might drive someone out holding KQ, KT or QT. If you raise, you'll at least give them incorrect odds to draw out on you. You'll also make more money from someone with a 2-outer (any pocket-pair), and anyone holding AK, AQ. The only hands you're behind at the moment are 3x-hands, of which EP1 might have A3 or J3. There are however only 8 combinations of J3 and A3 possible, which is far less than the possible holdings of AK, AQ, KQ, KT, QT, KK, QQ and TT.

[chrisgs]

Ok, I decided to call the bet, as did the SB and BB.

River(15 1/2 BB): 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

SB checks, BB checks, EP1 checks, Hero bets, SB folds, BB calls, EP1 folds

BB turns over A5o and MHIG!

Thanks for the responses. I didn't think of making the possible straight draws pay, that is a good point. Luckily the river was a brick and I took it down.

I still think it's a close call between raising and calling. Being totally results oriented, if I had raised, the BB most certainly would have folded the A5o, EP1 would have called, SB is debatable. So I would have gotten 1 or maybe 3 BB more on the turn and none on the river. As it was, I got 2 for the SB and BB on the turn and 1 from the BB on the river=3, so I don't think I lost anything by not raising the turn, maybe even gained. And yes, I understand that is being totally results oriented. If the river card had made someone a straight, I would not at all be happy with my play! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]