Flush draw

[John_Manley]

Last night I played a PokeStars $50 NL tournament. Stakes are 300-600 (if I remember right) and I am in the big blind with 5-3 suited spades and 6000 chips. All first position players fold and a middle position player with 8000 chips calls. The button and miniblind also call. Flop is A 9 Spades and 7 hearts. At this point I have a 4 flush. How should a 4 flush be played at this point of the tournament. By the way there are approximately 38 people in the tournament at this point and I have average number of chips.

[CrisBrown]

Hi John,

I would definitely check, and see what it is when it gets around to me. You didn't choose to play this hand -- but that doesn't mean you have to invest any more in it unless you're very +EV. If you're getting 4:1 or better for your call when it gets back to you, take another card off. If you're not, get out before a hand you wouldn't have played gets you in a lot of trouble.

Early in the tournament I might bet out on a flush if I have Axs and hit two of my suit. But you don't have Axs; you have 53s. And it's not early in a tournament. The other players probably aren't going to let you get away with a cheap chase here. So be willing to let it go.

Cris

[ZManODS]

I would check here and see how things develop. Your flush draw is not that strong and any player with an Ace will call you. Hope that it gets checked around.

At this point in the tournament, do not put your chips in unless you have an advantage. You do not want to be drawing especially when you are low on chips.

[Copernicus]

Not only do you want to be checking as the above posts said, you dont want to play even with marginally favorable odds. The "blind favorable" board should be alerting the players to the nature of your hand, and your implied odds may not be that strong for when you do hit it.

[John_Manley]

Thanks for the input. I think you have given me good advice. Unfortunately I made a big bet after the flop (1000 chips) with everyone limping in. I thought that with the ace on the board and a big bet being that I was in the blind I could steal the pot. Everyone else folded except the guy in middle position. Unfourtnuately I was reraised another 1000. I called that to see the next card which was not a spade. My gestalt was and that another big bet would win the pot right there so I made a 1000 chip bet and he then went all-in. Oops. Bad read. Real bad read. Real bad play, at least in retrospect. In retrospect I don't think he was bluffing and probably had three of a kind or two pair. I folded which left me something like 2000 chips and cripled.