Nut flush draw on monochrome board: bet the flop or try to checkraise?

[betgo]

$200 entry $200K on Paradise. Bubble period, blinds 600/1200/100. I limp UTG with KhQc and T15K. Gigabet limps in 3rd position with T80K. BB with 10K, playing weak/tight on bubble, but raised my blind once and has played hands, checks.

Flop comes A,rag,rag, all hearts. BB checks. Should I bet out or play for a checkraise?

[woodguy]

Thought you flopped the nut flush.

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I suck,
Woodguy

[Lloyd]

First, I really don't like limping UTG for almost 10% of your stack with KQ. Raise it up and try to steal the blinds or fold. I think if you want to play this hand it's for all your chips. In that case, I would check-raise. If you lead out, you might win the pot but you might also get raised and have to CALL off your chips on the draw. I much prefer checking and seeing if somebody will take a stab at the pot and then push. If they have an Ace they're calling you regardless but you might win a few more chips this way, and you still have plenty of folding equity. You're also representing slowplayed AA.

[rockythecat99]

If you are going to play UTG with KQ why not raise it up with that stack size. Your M is about 7 or so so raise it up. Play aggressive. A check raise is fine against Giga here as he will lead out a good amount of time. I think if you check raise you are pot committed here as I don't see you laying down this monster draw.

[Lloyd]

Why would use raise it up w/KQ UTG because your "M" is 7? I might raise it if I thought I could steal the blinds but that's about it. I would normally fold KQ UTG in this situation. And this isn't a monster draw. That would be a straight and flush draw, pair and flush draw, etc. We're only 2 to 1 to make the flush by the river. The most important question is what line will win this pot right now.

[LethalRose]

absolutely do not check raise, play it like you flopped top pair.

[rockythecat99]

[ QUOTE ]
Why would use raise it up w/KQ UTG because your "M" is 7? I might raise it if I thought I could steal the blinds but that's about it. I would normally fold KQ UTG in this situation. And this isn't a monster draw. That would be a straight and flush draw, pair and flush draw, etc. We're only 2 to 1 to make the flush by the river. The most important question is what line will win this pot right now.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats what I meant sorry I wasn't more clear. I meant to raise to basically knock everyone else out. Limping with that small a stack hoping to hit a flop that will miss you 2/3 of the time is just chip spewing in my opinion. Also I usually fold this preflop utg too but if your going to play it raise it up.

[fnurt]

You can probably count on Giga to bet most of the time here. When you check-raise, though, he is probably going to put you on a semibluff, as opposed to a big hand. So you can count on a call when he's got something and a fold when he has air, not the best result.

I would rather lead out here and let HIM be the one to semibluff, assuming he has a hand that merits it. Probably your best-case scenario is when he tries to semibluff you with a lower flush draw; you should give that scenario a chance to happen.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
You can probably count on Giga to bet most of the time here. When you check-raise, though, he is probably going to put you on a semibluff, as opposed to a big hand. So you can count on a call when he's got something and a fold when he has air, not the best result.

I would rather lead out here and let HIM be the one to semibluff, assuming he has a hand that merits it. Probably your best-case scenario is when he tries to semibluff you with a lower flush draw; you should give that scenario a chance to happen.


[/ QUOTE ]

I played exactly as you recommended for the reasons you state. I bet 2K and took the pot.

Limping UTG, it looked like I might have top pair with a fairly good kicker. I could also have high cards for a flush draw, a suited connector for a flush, a set of aces, or a small set. I figured the bet would be a little scary for Gigabet and the BB.

If I checked, Gigabet would probably bet. I figured if I checkraised, Gigabet would put me on a flush draw and call with a pair with the pot odds he had. I wanted to confuse Gigabet (and the BB if he had something) as to the nature of my hand.

I made a mistake. The blinds were 400/800/75 for 3400 in the pot on the flop.

I didn't raise preflop UTG with KQo because there were several strong aggressive players with big stacks. I didn't want have to deal with a reraise or playing a raised pot out of position. A lot of the players were playing very tight due to the bubble, so I didn't want to fold KQo. With the limp, I have the option of folding, calling, or pushing if I am raised. Also people don't know if I am limping UTG with a big pair.