[phish]

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The only reasonable argument against that call is that there are two players behind him to act. This would push the flop call to -EV, but I don't think by much.


I think that's why a raise is better than a call. You are out of position with a very marginal hand. Your equity is only good if noone has a flushdraw or a made hand over 5s. By just calling your flush draw is negated by letting in players behind holding a higher [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
And by only calling you can be pretty sure a tough player in position will bet a blank turn on this board. And with the two players in the middle still in there, any overcard to your 5 looks like bad news - and it will be expensive to find out how bad!

I can see some reason in just calling to "hide" a possible monster hand, and making a play for the pot on the turn. But would you really choose a flop with a flushdraw and a gutshot straight draw to make this play with a set? To make this play here would take some pretty solid reads!

Calling the flop to make a play on a later street should mainly be considered a NL play - you simply don't have the firepower and hence folding equity to make it work in FL (again, against certain players it may be the correct play once in a while)

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I think you're missing the point. His hand is not good enough to warrant putting more than one small bet in. And he has no intention of bluffing at the pot.

The call was a long shot meant solely to preserve his equity in the pot. If anyone bets the turn, he folds. He's hopping to either get real lucky and hit a set, or his hand is good and his opponent(s) chicken out on the betting.