Did I play this one right?

[motownMAN]

I am playing in a $1/2 Holdem game at PartyPoker and pay the $1 blind to enter the game near last position and get a J-9 o/s (call me #3). A player in early position calls (#1) and a player in mid position also calls (#2); I am in at #3 and the blinds also call (5 total). The flop comes K-10-X and I have a gutshot str8 draw with $5 in the pot. Everyone checks and I am glad as I would have folded with my 4 out gutshot (About 16% to hit or 7 - 1). The turn comes with a Q and I hit my gutshot. The blinds check, #1 bets, #2 calls and I just call and then the blinds fold. The river comes X and there is no flush draw or pair on the board. #1 bets and #2 calls and I just call. #1 has K-10 and #2 has a Q so I win with my K-9 str8.

I didn't raise because I didn't have the nut str8. I do this sort of thing most of the time, ie I don't raise unless I have the nut str8 or flush when someone else is leading.

Question is should I have raised in a $1/2 game and taken my chances getting re-raised?

[Nick C]

You'll occasionally be up against AJ here, but I think you should raise the turn anyway. Chances are, you're ahead.

When you make a flush (with both of your hole cards) and get bet into, I think generally you should play aggessively then as well.

[mtdoak]

A few things:

#1. You can copy and paste the hand histories from party poker into the hand converter (found here: http://www.selachian.com/tools/bison...converter.cgi)
It makes it alot easier and prettier
#2. You missed out on alot of big bets here. People will call you down here with just a pair. You missed 2 BB on the turn, probably more. The guy with K-10 was probably waiting to check raise you. So 4 BB. Thats pretty signifigant. The advantage of small stakes hold'em is that players call down with any sort of draw and weak hands. If someone has the nut straight, you just have to pay them off here. You are ahead the majority of the time.
#3. Read Ed Miller Small Stakes Hold'em. Pretty much a must read. Probably the best book on low limit hold'em available.

[private joker]

Also, I think someone's going to mention that 1/2 posts go in the micro-limit forum. May as well be me. (Crap, I just became "that guy." Shoot me now.)

[MCS]

You have to raise with this on the turn and on the river. Fearing that you're behind just because you don't have the nuts is too paranoid. With KQT on the board, there are a lot of one- and two-pair hands out there.

Even if you get raised, you're not necessarily behind. I'd raise here with KQ, for example, and I bet the KT guy would have raised.

I think you missed a lot of bets here. Be strong with the straight.