Interesting 1/5 No Ante Stud Hand

Hello,Players,

I was heads-up with a bad player that I played with for several years.

On 5th St., I had a 10 high heart flush. The player bet with 3 live clubs showing(Q high ). I raised and she re-raised me.

She has never re-raised me after I raised her before. This was the first time that I could remember.

What would be your play on 5th street after she re-raised you?

On 7th St. ,she was high and checked!

What would you then do assuming you continued to play?


Sitting Bull

Note: this player was not a creative person--in general

I'd have folded on fifth. In low-limit games, I operate on the assumption that players have the hands they are representing, until I see them show down something different and prove me wrong. I would be especially reluctant to keep throwing my money in against someone who is normally passive and has suddenly come to life.


However, if for some reason I had talked myself into staying in the hand, I would just check on seventh. She's not going to fold if you bet, so the only reason to bet here is if you want her to call with a losing hand, but there's too great a chance that she has a higher flush. And if she's recently made a conscious decision to become a more aggressive or tricky player (maybe she just read a book or got some lessons), she might be angling to check-raise your ass. So I think just checking and hoping you have the winner is your best ploy.


TRLS

It's possible that the third club also gave her trips (with a hidden hole pair) and she didn't fill. Or that she's worried that you have a higher flush than her Q-high. I'd probably have seen fifth and check/called down.

In most games I would not let go of a made flush. unless I was certain that I was against a boat. This maybe a leak in my game, but if it is, it doesnt come up that often.


One of the best things about a flush is that assuming that your A,K and Q are live, you might be drawing to a higher, and possibly winning hand. The same thing is almost never true about straights.


So, I would call 5th, and check call to the river, unless I hit a flush overcard to her Q. It might cost me 15 bucks, but since she checked the river, it turns out to be 10. If I lose, then the next time she reraises me maybe I will fold a made hand.

this goes to a theory of mine, "at higher limits you often need to call when objectively it seems like you're beat because you don't really know what the opponent has. at lower limits you often need to call when it seems like you're beat because your opponent often doesn't know what they have" I see the re-raise as saying she just hit a trip and the check on the river means she didn't fill. she's excited she triped her queen(or whatever card just came on 5th) and doesn't realize that a raise from you might mean flush. plus; anytime a poor, bland player like this has a solid but not huge hand that doesn't improve on the river they seem to check it down. but they always bet a flush/boat. I've seen aces up or trip jacks checked down when there were no draws on board and the only opponents to show flipped over 1 middle pair. on the other hand I've seen someone hit a broadway straight and 3 bet two flush boards and two pairs on board that had just raised into him. they don't know where they're at. never pay off idiocy by folding such a strong hand. call it all then fire on the river, if she's check raising you I'll be surprised.


what were the results?

Percentages heavily favor her having a flush rather than trips. She had 2 outs to make trips, and (as many as) 9 to fill a flush. That's 4.5-to-1. Even if she has trips, she has two shots to fill up or make quads. There's also a small additional chance of her having trips but making a runner-runner flush. So assuming she has one or the other (and it's inconceivable to me that she has neither for her check-raise), then you're actually much worse than 4.5-1 to wind up with the best hand. To this you have to add the possibility of her flush getting better (i.e., turning into an ace-high instead of a queen high), although you can deduct for the possibility of your own flush improving.


It comes down to pot size, really. If you're getting pot odds of 6-1 or so for your call, then you should probably stay in, but this will often not be the case, depending on the earlier action.


TRLS

certainly percentages favor the flush, and that would be an easy read if she had bet the river as well; but the check on the end makes me think trips. I know that if she has trips she can fill or quad up, but if her board pairs on 6th you can safely lay down confident she has either the flush or the boat; and if she bets on the river you could probably muck it as well(unless you picked up the Ah or Kh) since you're almost certainly beaten. I just don't think this player would check-raise and I don't think she'd check a made Q high flush into an unpaired board.

Hello, Stud Analysts,

I want to thank Lin,MRB,Angry man, and all other stud players who responded with their interesting analyses.

The Gold Medal,however,goes to Lin Sherman(What a beautiful mind!--Did you see the movie,Lin?)

Her analysis was correct every step of the way!

The history of the player,as well as her hand,was taken into consideration.

************************************************** ************************************************* Results:

5th Str. After she raised me,I called the raised(Magoo No. 1)

6th Str. She bets. I called(Magoo No 2)

7th Str. She checks I bet(Magoo No. 3)

She then bangs it to me with a check-raise.

I called(Magoo No.4)

Player wins with the Q high flush which she had on 5th.

Hence,she won 4 BB from me .

4 Hrs of work down the tube in 10 mins!

I cried all the way home while I was riding my bicycle!


Sitting Bull

Ps Dealer said he thought I had A-high flush!

Hello,Todd,

If I were to make tougher folds,my income would increase to about 1000-1500 per year in 1/5 stud.

And that's being conservative.

Sitting Bull