[Buzz]

[ QUOTE ]
What is my best plan?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sy - You have a worthwhile hand to play. You probably shouldn't generally <font color="white">_</font>draw for a 2nd nut flush (unless you have something else good working for you) - but when you already <font color="white">_</font>have the 2nd nut flush, that's a different matter.

Based on your perceptive description of your opponents and how they are playing, I think if you don't bet, UTG will, and one of your other opponents very well may raise. And then you won't know where you stand. (You won't be able to tell if the raiser is raising with the nut flush or to isolate UTG). In addition, you don't want to take the chance of giving someone who would fold to a bet a free chance to draw out on you.

Thus checking does not seem a good option.

I don't think you want to throw this in (check/fold), because I think it's about two to one that none of your opponents here has the king high flush (and you have some protection from the board lowing).

Neither do you want to check/call here. Sometimes I advocate playing "defensively" (check/calling) - but not at this point in the hand. Maybe that will be your play on the turn or river, depending - but not here, not yet.

At any rate, I strongly dislike checking here. I think you have to toss in a bet to try to see where you stand and reason from there, depending on what happens. There are lots of possibilities and many of them seem very scary, but I think you need to show some courage here and bet.

Flopped 2nd nut flushes can be tough to play, but I think you're favored to win, even though you don't have the nuts. A bigger danger than encountering an opponent holding the king flush is the danger of the board pairing on the turn or river.

[ QUOTE ]
is it trash

[/ QUOTE ]

Was your starting hand trash? Yes.

But whatever your starting hand was doesn't matter anymore. After the flop, what matters is how well your hand fits the board - and here you have a very decent, albeit non-nut, fit.

[ QUOTE ]
should I protect, or should I try to maximize bets?

[/ QUOTE ]

You certainly don't want someone backing into a full house. I think the best way to protect against that is to bet.

The main danger of maximizing bets is that you may be up against the king flush. Thus going for a check-raise to maximize bets seems very unwise.

You're sort of like a cheetah out hunting in lion country. You kind of tippy toe around trying to ascertain if there are any lions in the immediate vicinity, but at the same time not wanting to give up a meal to a jackal.

Bet this flop and see if any lions roar.

Just my opinion.

Buzz

(Does Sy_or_bust mean you are Sy or getting to Sy is a goal? I'm assuming the former - no offense intended).