Advice on this hand.

This guy had been raising a lot on third street, so I didn't think it was very likely he had a pair of aces, but I decided to just call with the intention of raising on a later street so I could represent a hand stronger than a pair and also give myself the chance to hit a Queen cheaply. When another ace appeared on the other guy's board, I decided he probably didn't and wanted to isolate him by forcing the player with the probable flush draw to call a double bet. Is there another way I should've played this? Perhaps reraise on 3rd street? Should I fold to his reraise on 4th?

7 Card Stud High ($5/$10), Ante $0.50, Bring-In $2 (converter)

3rd Street - (0.30 SB)

Seat 4: xx xx A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___raises
Hero: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___brings-in___calls

4th Street - (3.30 SB)

Seat 4: xx xx A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___bets___raises
Hero: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]___raises___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls___calls

5th Street - (6.15 BB)

Seat 4: xx xx A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___checks
Hero: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___checks
Seat 6: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___checks

6th Street - (6.15 BB)

Seat 4: xx xx A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]___calls
Hero: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___bets

River - (9.15 BB)

Seat 4: xx xx A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] xx___raises___calls
Hero: Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]___folds
Seat 6: xx xx 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] xx___bets___raises

Total pot: (15.15 BB)

[BeerMoney]

Its really a sticky situation on fourth, but I raise third, and DEFINITELY bet 5th. Look, if he's got the flush, its ok, you still have the odds to suck out. tough fold on the river...

[lstream]

I would play this quite a bit differently:

3'rd street - re-raise, especially given your description of seat 4. You want the hand heads up if possible

4'th street - no I would not fold, with the three flush

5'th street - why no bet? Maybe you are against a flush, and he is trying for a check raise, but clubs are pretty dead. Bet it - if you get raised call.

6'th street - without betting fifth, now you have a difficult time figuring out where you stand vs the potential flush. Given the call on fifth, I would likely raise on 6'th and just call to a re-raise

7'th street - I would pay off - no way I'm folding trip queens but I'm a calling station when I get to the river

If you don't think he has a pair of aces on third, you may as well raise straight away. I think that its unlikely that someone would fold a live ace high flush draw for two small bets on fourth.

I would bet out fifth, reraising the possible pair of aces, and calling a raise from the possible flush draw. On sixth, unless the possible flush raised fifth, I would lead again. If the flush hand raised fifth, I would check/call 6th and 7th. In this case, you may well have been right to fold the river, although it is difficult to know for sure. There are a fair number of clubs out, so he may not have the flush.

I probably should've reraised on 3rd street, but what could seat 6 have other than a flush on 5th street given how the hand was played, even if clubs are somewhat dead? I decided to just take a free card when he checked on 5th street since I believed he had the flush. On the river, given that seat 4 was raising an apparent flush (or at least the threat of one), I didn't think 3 queens could possibly be good, because I would expect him to be calling and not raising if he had less than a flush.

Quite possible that the apparent flush is two big pair or even a complete bluff. If the other villain thinks that, he may raise with less than the boat to try and get you out. I would probably call, although I would be slightly surprised if I won.

River fold is weak. too many clubs out. if he doesn't have flush, what else could either player have that could beat you? maybe he has 3 3's, maybe aces up, but in most cases with that board, your hand will win. and he is betting ebcasue he has no idea you have 3 queens. how can he know. since you showed no strength, his strength that is shown is probably indicative of less. with some play on your part on third and fifth, you would have a better feel for what is going on in the hand.

reraising third is good. betting 5th is good. depending on how the others react to your bet on fifth will determine what you do on 6th. and on river, as i suggested, you can not fold. you lost this hand yourself becasue you did not want to take a stand any time during this hand.

[Roland]

[ QUOTE ]
and wanted to isolate him by forcing the player with the probable flush draw to call a double bet.

[/ QUOTE ]


Uh… you have it the wrong way round. The flush draw should be happy to call two bets; in fact, I’d 3-bet you here.
You have to start thinking differently about draws. The flush draw is very strong here (much better than your hand - he probably has about 50% equity).

[Andy B]

Considering that this is three-handed, and that the guy with the Ace is looking at a couple of babies, he ought to be raising with about anything. Given that, it is highly likely that your Queens are the best hand, and you should proceed accordingly, i.e., raise. Even if this were a full game, you should raise if you think there's a good chance that the guy with the Ace is raising light and you think that you'll get it heads-up by raising. Even if the other guy really does have Aces, you're better off playing heads-up as a small dog than playing the second-best pair in a multi-way pot.

The raise on fourth is fine if you think that the third man will fold. I don't think it's all that likely that he will fold after catching a suited Ace, though. You might wait until fifth and see if that raise will make him fold, but if he's on a flush draw, he's not folding, nor should he.

On fifth, you just have to bet. It is true that for him to call two bets on fourth, he should have a real hand--a flush draw, two pair, or a set. If he has the flush, though, do you really think he's going to check it? Too many low-limit players get skeered when their opponents make open three-flushes and four-flushes, and they check behind all too readily. This makes it difficult to check-raise, so I think most players will bet a flush in his position. It is very likely that you are winning here, but you can't really afford to be giving out free cards. If you get check-raised, it isn't the end of the world--you can always suck out.

On sixth, I still think you have the best hand, and I would raise. The river is interesting. You said that Seat 1 was pretty loose, so I think there is still a decent chance that you have the best hand, decent enough that I'd call two bets. Do you think your chance of being best here is less than 20%? Assuming you call and it gets three-bet behind you, it sure doesn't look good, but the pot is too big to even think about folding.

[frappeboy]

Third street can go either way, but I usually prefer to just call here. If he has aces you shouldnt be raising, and if he doesn't and say he has just (Q 10) A, then you want him to keep on betting into you with nothing. If the bring-in is loose then you should lean towards raising 3rd though, because you'd like this pot heads up.

I like the raise on 4th, since its less likely the original guy has aces, and you do have a 3 flush now.

5th street you should be betting here every time, you can't give people a free shot to beat you.

6th street I'd raise since so many clubs are dead, if he re-raises you are in trouble. Also it's usually a good idea to define your hand on 6th street because it makes it easier to play the river.

The river is tough, but I think the fold is right. Very few players are going to raise a board like that with aces up or even trips. If the original bettor's board wasn't scary then you should be calling in this situation because your opponent could be doing this with aces up or a smaller set of trips, but here I think you can be around 95% sure you are beaten.