Boring hand, but interesting question

[Laughingboy]

30+3 NL. 2 off button, level 2 with average stack, 3 early limpers, I limp with 5s5h. Everyone behind me folds. Flop is 6s7s8h. So I have bottom pair, an open ender and a backdoor flush.

This is the sort of hand where I have a hard time evaluating the proper play when there's any kind of action in NL. My intuition would be to fold (absent some kind of strong read), but it's semi-painful. Still, with all those limpers, I'm thinking I'm probably taking the worst of it if anyone bets into me. Better straight draws, a real flush draw, a higher backdoor flush....

Have I answered my own question already? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

-S.

P.S. At the table it was checked to me, I bet half the (small) pot, and everyone folded. Yawn.

[zaphod]

[ QUOTE ]
This is the sort of hand where I have a hard time evaluating the proper play when there's any kind of action in NL

[/ QUOTE ]

I would say that if i get any kind of action in front of me this is a hand that is easy to get away from, you are easily beaten here. If you hit your straight, you still could be behind. It is early in the tournament and i don't want to invest a lot of chips now.

[Myst]

if its bet in front of you fold.
If its checked to you, bet.

[Laughingboy]

Thanks. It's reassuring to hear my intuition backed up.

-S.

[mcpherzen]

[ QUOTE ]
30+3 NL. 2 off button, level 2 with average stack, 3 early limpers, I limp with 5s5h. Everyone behind me folds. Flop is 6s7s8h. So I have bottom pair, an open ender and a backdoor flush.

This is the sort of hand where I have a hard time evaluating the proper play when there's any kind of action in NL. My intuition would be to fold (absent some kind of strong read), but it's semi-painful. Still, with all those limpers, I'm thinking I'm probably taking the worst of it if anyone bets into me. Better straight draws, a real flush draw, a higher backdoor flush....

Have I answered my own question already? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

-S.

P.S. At the table it was checked to me, I bet half the (small) pot, and everyone folded. Yawn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you're missing anything at all. Your hand, with that board, and 3-5 opponents (surely the BB didn't fold) is complete garbage. You can't even call a minimum bet, should someone lead at you. You shouldn't regard this as an open-ender because if you catch any heat when a 9 comes, you're toast. Even a 5 on the turn isn't an out because it puts a 4-straight on board. And the 4s isn't much of an out because now the flush is on board. So, you're drawing to 3 outs (the remaining 3 fours). But wait, it gets worse. Even if you pick up one of those miracle cards you (a) shouldn't expect to get paid off because all your opponents will see that a single card fills in the straight and (b) you may have been drawing dead to someone trapping you with the real straight (10-9) from the get-go. This hand has virtually zero value other than bluffing value.

--mcpherzen

[ChrisV]

This hand is trash. I wouldn't even bet if it was checked to me. A bet if it is checked to you is close to a bluff because your draws may not be good and you have to shut down if anyone calls. It's an awful hand.

More generally, in NL drawing to straights where you only contribute one card is usually bad, because (1) your opponent will not pay you off with a one card straight on board and (2) You never have the nuts. And draws are pretty bad to start with in NL.