A couple of drawing hands.

[naegid]

Hi folks,

I'm in the middle of exams just now but stopped by Party Poker ($25NL 6 handed) for 1/2 an hour of 'therapeutic' poker yesterday. Two drawing hands had me thinking...

First hand: I've raised 9s Ts to $2 from the cut off and get called by the button and big blind. Flop is 8d Js As. All involved have ~$20, what line do you take? Don't have much of a read on the players but button is agressive, if its checked to him, he has almost always bet the pot on the flop.

Second hand: Two limpers, i call on the button with 5d 7d, SB folds, BB checks. Flop is 4c 6s Js. Its checked round to me and i bet $2 half expecting to take down the pot there. BB min raises to $4 and one limper calls. Huh?!

BB has seemed reasonable and has my $25 covered, the limper has seemed pretty poor and has ~$7. I think BB has two pair/set/has seen me bet a number of flops and is trying to take this off me with a flush draw semibluff (in my mind about 60/30/10% respectively).

At the time i wasnt sure what the limper was playing but in retrospect it's pretty obvious- the flush draw.

I decided to call and play for implied odds but not pay off if the board paired or another spade hit. Anyone have a better line?

[naegid]

Sorry, in the first hand the Big Blind checks on the flop...

[phil_ivey_fan]

Hand #1: check. If Button pots it, push all in. Your draws are beating alot of made hands. You are a coin flip w/ 2pr and a slight dog to a set. Use your fold equity and push.

Hand #2: call the min raise. if you do not make your str8 w/ a 3 or 8 (non-spade)...fold