Bet this river or fear the flush?
 

Button is 35% over 100 hands.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG calls, Button calls, SB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG raises</font>, Button calls, SB folds, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, UTG calls, <font color="#CC3333">Button caps</font>, Hero calls, UTG calls.

I considered waiting until the turn to raise, but I think that's more appropriate when more players are still in. Button cold-calling and then coming alive once he sees more bets in the pot is screaming a draw to me.

Turn: (10 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls, Button calls.

River: (13 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks.

Had the button not acted the way he did on the flop, this is an easy bet for me regardless if the flush hits, but I wimped out on this one and checked. Is this correct given the action on the flop? If I bet out and am raised, do I call with the pot being somewhat large?

Final Pot: 13 BB

Re: Bet this river or fear the flush?
 

You give the button way too much credit. Instead of a big draw, it looks to me like the button plays poorly (35% vpip) and thought capping the flop would be fun. You really need to be more inclined to bet these rivers against such loose opposition precisely because their range of hands is so wide.

Re: Bet this river or fear the flush?
 

Thanks, I thought I wimped out here.

Had I bet on the river and been raised, is the pot large enough to justify a call?

Re: Bet this river or fear the flush?
 

Absolutely. Just ask yourself how often you have to have the best hand in order to call the raise. Suppose you bet and get raised by the button. There would be 16 bets in the pot and it would be blasphemy to fold for one more.