Top 2 hand on scary board - when to get aggressive?

[TheDrone]

Does this hand show my inexperience with NL ring games?

9-handed, Blinds .25/.50

Preflop:
EP($27) and EP+1($46) limp, Hero ($49) limps with K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], CO ($42) and SB ($144) limp, BB ($50) checks.

Flop ($3): 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
SB bets .50 and everyone calls.

Turn ($6): 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Checked to EP who bets $2.50, EP+1 calls, hero ?

Here are my thoughts:
On the flop I probably have the best hand. However, a pot-sized flop raise would not protect my hand, and probably would not give me enough info to know if I was behind any callers on this typical loose table since they could be on a draw or could be slowplaying a made hand. Raising would just make the pot bigger and give draws better odds to see the river if the turn didn’t help them. Only chance I would have to win the hand outright is if I made a huge raise and hope I was ahead. So I limped along with the plan to raise a non-club turn.

Is this the correct approach with top 2 on a 6-way flop and a dangerous board? If I think the remaining players left to act will just call or fold EP’s turn bet, is it worth just calling the turn for the implied odds to river a boat instead of raising the turn?

Results to follow.

[Smoo]

I think you need to bet the flop harder. The way you played it, you gave everyone with a club a free flush draw. If you raise the flop, (say to $7) you can get anyone who is just sticking around with a club to fold. If you get re-raised, then you can consider folding.

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

[ QUOTE ]
However, a pot-sized flop raise would not protect my hand

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, this is exactly what a pot-sized flop raise will do. If you raise to $4, anyone behind you is getting incorrect odds to call with their flush draw. If they do call, you make money because they are calling on a draw with incorrect odds to do so.

[TrailofTears]

Yeah, I would even overbet the flop here, because while a pot bet won't give one person the correct odds to call, if anyone else calls then the odds are correct for a call from a third (or fourth) player. Raise to 5 and not only are you going to protect your hand, you are going to likely push out low flush draws who might think their draw is no good anymore. Also, as previous poster mentioned, if you are played back at strongly, re-assess and possibly fold.

- ToT

[Jonny]

1. I wouldn't limp with that
2. Your analysis makes no sense about not protecting your hand. They may call a pot size bet on the flop AND turn! Why would you want to give em a free chance to crack you wide open without having to draw inncorrectly?

3. I would at least pot it on the flop, mabye 1.5x pot.

[TheDrone]

Point taken. I have noticed some very loose calls in these games. Therefore I was concerned with how to proceed on the turn if I get two or more callers even if they were all incorrect to call my raise. Checking twodimes with some sample calling hands like Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] shows that I should still have the best of it on a non-club turn as long as I'm not against a slowplayed flush. Thanks for the replies.

Results:
Hero calls the turn [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img], CO and SB call too.

River ($18.50): 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]
SB checks, EP($23 left) bets $7.50, EP+1 folds, Hero raises to $40, CO($39 left) calls, SB folds, EP calls.

I take a nice pot down and thank the poker gods for shining on me despite my questionable flop and turn play.