How to play the nut flush with a pair on the board?
 

I initially posted this in the "Texas Holdem" section, but one of the veteran posters suggested that I move it to the mid-stakes section for more responses...

Please look at this and give me your opinions on how I played it and my reasons for doing so. Please comment on the entire hand, not just the final result, as I need help on everything. Thanks.

N/L ring game, $1/2, 10 handed. I am button with $180 stack. BB has $220. No reads as this is only the 5th hand ( My trip 5's got beaten the hand prior by trip 8's).

Fold to MP1 who calls. Fold to cut, who calls. I call with A-7d. SB folds, BB checks.

My theory for not raising pre-flop was two-fold. My kicker sucks, and I am basically playing this hand with the hopes that I hit the flush, otherwise, top pair is either a loser, or will be such a small pot that it doesn't really pay to play these two cards. I wanted as many people in the pot as possible, as if I hit the flush it will most-likely be the best hand, so I figure I don't want to chase people out. I figure that the odds are tthe nut flush will be the best hand, and I want as many people to put cash into the pot as possible. I also want to see the flop as cheaply as possible, because this is a very speculative hand, which will miss many more times than it will hit.

Flop is Kd, 8d, 3d. Cool.

BB checks, MP1 checks, cut checks, I bet $5.
I think most people say to check this to allow someone to make a hand. My reason for betting was that I figured that a small bet like this would probably get called by at least a couple of the players, and might make them think I was on a draw, hoping to buy the pot. BB and MP1 call, cut folds.

Turn, Ks.

BB bets $10, MP1 folds. I put BB on trip K's, which I like. I raise to $30. He calls.

River 4c. He bets $50, I go all-in, he calls.

He has K-4, hit the river for a boat and hammers me for $180.

How do you decide how to play this type of hand? I could just bet big after the flop, unfortunately I'd win around $8. I know I should be careful when there's a pair on the board, but how do you determine what to do? Most of the time there's a pair on the board, nobody has a boat, and most of the time, the nut flush is a money maker. Is this just one of those cases where things went bad and that's the way it is, or should I have recognized something and played it differently? Thanks.

Re: How to play the nut flush with a pair on the board?
 

this goes in the NL forum

Re: How to play the nut flush with a pair on the board?
 

Well, he's in the big blind, so he can have any possible king. Second, you need to decide how good a player he is. Does he pay off your push with just 3 kings? When he calls your turn raise, then still leads the river at you, I think you need to just call.

Re: How to play the nut flush with a pair on the board?
 

Bet the pot on the flop.

Rather than being scared to chase everybody out of this hand, you want to make the most money possible (ie stack) from a lower flush, a set, 2-pair, or TPGK before another diamond falls, not to make a little tiny extra bet on the turn from someone who thought their Kx might be good.

Raise more on the turn, especially if you feel your opponent has trips. Or consider pushing.

Ojo_Rojo

Re: How to play the nut flush with a pair on the board?
 

Thanks for the info guys.