[Buzz]

fep - A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] is a tough hand to play from early or mid-position. With four cards in the same suit, it's not much different from a rainbow hand - a tad better, but closer to a rainbow in terms of how it simulates than to
A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

But I think it's a playable starting hand, even from early or mid-position. So anyhow you see the flop, as do five of your opponents. Fine.

The flop is not great for you. You have no decent play for high and should expect that about half the time with eight players dealt hands and six seeing the flop, an opponent will have an ace-deuce. And much of the rest of the time, someone else will have an ace-trey.

At any rate, you get two checks to you and you bet. Fine. If you don't bet, someone behind you probably will. I think it's better to bet this yourself, if you plan to continue. And I think you have to plan to continue. Otherwise, I don't think you can play the hand to begin with.

So you bet the flop (fine) but then you get four callers! Ugh!

The turn is not favorable to you. Double ugh! And now you're probably screwed. You can't bet and if you check and call, you're probably going to face a double big bet on the fourth betting round.

So you check and somebody behind you bets. Triple ugh!

The triple ugh does it! Too much is going wrong here! I think your best play is to fold to the bet on the turn. I don't like that, but unless the river is a deuce, the alternatives seem worse.

The odds are about ten to one against a deuce on the river, and even if you do catch a deuce on the river, you're only playing for half the pot. And without a deuce on the river, it's pure ugly.

I don't think you made a mistake by seeing the flop with the hand, and I don't think you made a mistake by betting the flop. But after that nothing went right! Time to bail after three ughs in a row.

Just my opinion.

Buzz