Pot Equity Question from SSH

[cardspeak]

On page 36 and 37 (#3 about betting or raising for value), the following is said: "For instance, you have flopped the nut flush draw against four opponents. You have a 35% chance to make your hand by the river, and therefore, also about 35% pot equity. If all four of your opponents call to see the turn, you will contribute 20% of the money, but your equity is 35%. This represents a "pot equity edge"...The more flop raises, the more money you make."

I will usually bet on the come if I'm getting enough callers equal or better than the odds against me making my draw, but the above seems to suggest that it would be correct to bet/raise a flopped four flush with as few as two callers (my bet would contribute 33% of the money versus a 35% pot equity). I've not figured it this way because the 35% chance also includes the possibility I'll have to call a turn bet while still on the come. Thus, I've generally been requiring four callers, not two.

It also seems that your pot equity drops on the turn if the flush doesn't fill. Thus, you have 35% PE on the flop, but about 20% on the turn, and therefore wouldn't bet/raise the turn without the commensurate (and increased) number of callers. Is this how others interpret this advice? If so, I've not been maximizing my expectation.

Thanks.

[cold_cash]

I think on the flop if you've got 2 callers you're pretty much breaking even, 3+ and you're making money with each bet that goes in.

You need more callers on the turn to make it a value bet/raise because your chance of making your hand just went from 2:1 to 4:1.

I think you pretty much got it right with your post, but I admit I didn't go over it with a fine-toothed comb, and I'm no expert on this subject by any stretch.

[Cerril]

On the flop you're making money if you're getting 2 or more callers, but with 3 or more you're better off. Of course, unless the flop is otherwise scary (major straight draw or high cards) more callers after a point might mean you're up against other 4-flushes and your odds might be slightly lower (slightly, not a lot, since you give them credit for roughly one of your suit per five of their cards by default).

But yeah, chances are the field won't be big enough for turn bets to make you money. But keep in mind that when you make your flush on the turn almost 100% of the money going into the pot is yours, so that your equity has shrunk on the turn doesn't really make the flop action any worse - it just means you don't want to be raising too much if you don't hit on the turn.

[cardspeak]

I appreciate it.