Turned a Flush on a Paired Board

[aquifex harse]

Hi All,
heres a hand I just played...

Game has $5/$10 blinds, 6max.
I'm in the CO with ($900) and call after one limper with Ac6c. Called by the Button ($700) and checked by the BB ($1200). 4 people see the flop. No really reads, but the table is quite tight.

Flop Qs Qc 2c

Checked bu both BB and UTG. I try and steal by betting $60, hoping to take it down. However, the button reraises to $120 and is quickly called by the BB. I put at least one of them on a Q and call hoping to hit a club.

Turn 5c

OK, I've hit my flush but I'm not entirely happy with the situation. This is where I messed up. UTG checks and I check (??). Button bets $30 (?) and is called by UTG. This is where I get my senses back and reraise to $300. My C/r is called by the Button and UTG folds.

River is 9s

I push, putting button all in for about $250 more.

Comments welcome, I think I should have bet the turn hard and check/called the river.

aquifex

[Post-Oak]

On the flop the pot is only $40 and you bet $60. Why? Then button CR to $120 and UTG calls! Button is showing real strength, but is also not afraid of running you out of the hand. This could be pocket 2s. You could be drawing dead already.

Look at it this way. You bet $60 into a $40 pot. Who is going to check raise you here? AQ or 22? He's not in the blind so Q2 is unlikely.

<<<<I put at least one of them on a Q>>>>

They at LEAST have trips. This pot just went from nothing to something in a hurry.

This is a very tough hand.

Flop:
Why bet $60 into a pot which is just $40? Just bet $30. If they don't have a Q, they are likely to fold. If they want to call with a non-nut flush draw, that is fine because they are in big trouble if a club comes.

The checkraise is very scary, but it's tough to fold here for just another $60. You have to make a decision. Either fold here because you think there is a very good chance you are drawing dead or call and see one more card. If you call and a club hits, you are playing the hand to completion. Like you, I think I would call. He may be reeling you in with the minraise, but I would take the chance and see one more card.

Turn:
Definitely come out betting. The pot is already $400. The villains have at least trips. This is no time to slowplay! It is true that any reasonable bet here will pot commit you. You may be dead in the water already but I don't think you can get away from this hand after helping to build a large pot on the flop, then calling his CR, then hitting your card.

The way it panned out, it still looks like button is milking. The low club did not scare him. He might have a boat. If so, there is nothing you can do.

The only alternative I can see after the club hits is to check call him down. But that would suck if an A or K hits the river. You don't want to give a poor playing opponent his chance to fill up.

Personally, I think he had 22. AQ is possible. Regardless, your fate is sealed when you call the CR and a club hits the turn.

Does anyone disagree? This is a tough hand.

But to reiterate, there was no reason to bet $60 on the flop. Other than that it is just a tough situation.

[aquifex harse]

Post-Oak,

I was writing the post from memory and I must have got the numbers slightly wrong because my flop bet was only pot-sized, so I think there must have been anouther limper in the pot... I really should try and improve my memory skills!
I agree with alot of your thinking on this hand. Thanks for the reply.

Aquifex

[Post-Oak]

OK, thanks for the clarification.

I would recommend playing the hand to completion once the club hits. Bet the turn (about 250). If he raises all-in, call. If he calls, you go all-in on the river no matter what (even if an A hits, because you will have to call his all-in if you check). He should be pot committed at this point.

It's scary to think he flopped the underfull, but once you make the flop call of his CR there is no way you can fold now that you have the flush. The only reasonable hand that beats you after the turn is 22 (or the monster QQ).

There are 3 hands he could hold that give him the 222QQ full house. 1 hand for quad queens. There are 6 possible combinations of AQ left (only 3 if we put the other caller on a Q). Still, you have to add in the possibility of QK and other garbage (hopefully not Q2 or Q9, but they are not at all likely).

Once the club hits, just try to get all the money in without scaring him off. It's too late to fold so try to get paid off if he has AQ or worse. If he has you beat, you will be calling him down anyway, so don't let a weaker hand escape by checking to him. Try to keep the bets just small enough in relation to the pot that you wind up all-in but he calls with trip queens. He either has you drawing dead or is drawing to 2 or 3 outs himself.

By the way, if your initial bet was $40 and the checkraise was still to $120 (as opposed to $80) you can consider folding here because even if your ~ 1 in 5 chance to hit the nut flush on the turn comes through, there is the possibility that you are drawing dead or will be run down. The other guy calling builds the pot for you, but it also adds outs for them to make a full house (assuming they both have queens).

I think this is the most important point of the hand. If you call, you are playing this out if a club hits. I still call if the CR was to 120.

I would like to see how other people would play this, because this is an interesting hand.