straight draw with one suit on board

[Crumpled Ear]

This situation came up twice last night. I get an open-ended straight with 3 of one suit on the board. How do you play it? Here's one of the hands:

I'm on button with 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Preflop: UTG calls, fold....fold, CO calls, I raise, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls, CO calls.

Flop: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 players)
UTG bets, CO raises, I fold (wimp?), SB calls, BB folds, UTG calls

Turn: (7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]) J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
UTG bets, CO raises, SB folds, UTG reraises, CO caps.

River: (7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J :spade) 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
UTG checks, CO bets, UTG calls.

[Crumpled Ear]

UTG has 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] for straight
CO has K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for flush and takes it.

[Bob T.]

I like your fold on the flop, in a five handed pot, if you aren't already behind, your opponents could have a lot of outs against you, and it could cost a lot to find out that you were already drawing dead.

Good luck,
play well,

Bob T.

[Louie Landale]

First of all you have only a one-card straight draw. That's a LOT worse than a 2-card one: its easy to get split and you aren't drawing to the nuts (unless its to the A-straight). A 3-flush on board will kill all straight draws except for semi-bluffing.

Nothing to think about here. Your flop fold is routine.

- Louie

"Whimp" is usually reserved for those who fail to bet or raise with the goods "just in case". When faced with a clear fold-call situation its always better to be a "whimp" than a "fool". Let ego get the better of the opponents.