blonde poker forum

Am in BB sitting with 20k odd in chips. Average is about 12k or so I guess. Blinds at 100/200. The table has been pretty tight and no-one has been opening from early with anything less than AK, AQ or pocket 10s upwards. There has been little flat calling behind raises.

UTG+1 opens for 600. Two callers, not including the LAG on my right, the only player at the table that's shown loose propensities. I hold  Js 4s. Getting more than 5-1 on my money, I'm duty bound to call. All other players in the hand have between 8-13k behind, with UTG + 1 on around 13k.

Joy. A flopped flush. I think it was something like 953. Pot is 2500.

Question 1 - bet, hoping to induce action (and avoiding giving someone a free stab at a higher flush), or check?

Let's assume you check.

UTG+1 checks. First limper bets 1200. Second limper folds. Round to you.

Question 2 - flat call or raise and, if you raise, by how much? Are you looking to take it down here and now or are you prepared to chance another spade appearing on the turn?

Let's assume you flat call. UTG+1 raises it to 4500 or so. The other two get out.

Question 3 - I'm assuming you're re-raising here. Are you pushing or re-raising less, and what's your rationale?

Calling for value is ok...but the majority of the time you will be check folding after the flop and so for this strategy to make sense you absolutely must get paid when you hit a dream flop. Guess what? You've just hit a dream flop....so any thoughts about you could be beat right now must be dismissed. If you don't commit to a flopped flush then there is no point in making the value call in the first place!

Both strategies of betting out and checking have their merits. In this instance you have chosen to check and that's fine....this conceals the strength of your hand. When a bet comes in I think it is important to be consistent with your chosen strategy. Many players check-raise here but I don't like this...why conceal your strength only to quickly reveal it as soon as action occurs? No....you have chosen to slow-play and so calling the 1,200 bet is perfect actually.

Now the all important point in this situation is to be thoroughly aware of how this looks to the original raiser....It's checked round...someone takes a stab...the bb check-calls the 1,200...and the action is back to him. This whole situation looks thoroughly weak and his opponents are fudging about. So he thinks his A-k (with a spade) or big pair (with a spade) is plenty good enough to take this pot right here and now and if not he has outs to hit. Well bingo...he's just fallen into the trap you set by SLOW-PLAYING. Don't second guess yourself here!! UTG+1 DOESN'T KNOW YOU HAVE A FLUSH. He is simply jumping on the weakness that you chose to convey by slow-playing your hand. This is great news...your plan worked!!

You re-raise here and you re-raise ALL-IN to deny him the chance of hitting HIS draw...if he wants to chase you down he will be charged the full price. Think about it logically....he has just flopped the nuts or 2nd nuts...there is multi-way action happening...multi-way action he has encouraged by checking...a big pot is brewing and he is slow-playing his monster...why would he ruin his own plan by check-raising and scaring away the customers who are contributing to his tournament-winning pot?? This doesn't make sense. He's fallen into your trap so now it's time to reveal the actual strength of your hand and take down a nice pot.

Good good. I thought I played it right, just wanted a second opinion. Ta Mantis. He folded and showed tens, as it happened.

You are only scared of 2 hands Kxs and Qxs. I play it exactly as you do, deny big spade opportunity to hit and let smaller flushes go broke.