Well this hand really sucked bad.
Preflop is debatable I know. I am OOP for the rest of the hand with a fairly marginal holding which is bad. I did however see this smallish raise getting a lot of callers and I was getting a 6 dollar discount being in the big blind
so I decided to take a look. I dont think its too bad to either play tight and fold or take a look at the flop here. Be aware tho if you choose the latter you might very well end up in a situation like this.
The flop is great for me obv. A gutshot to the nuts plus flush draw, real sweet. I dont see much point playing this board fast against this many players. If I end up all in on this flop I will be at best against two pair and at worst against a set/Axspades. So I chose to check and see the action. The bet is really pretty small for the size of the pot so I am not too surprised to see so many callers. It is unclear what everyone has tho. If someone has the straight then I expect them to raise on this board with so many callers so I discount that. A set DEFINATELY has to raise this flop and I cant really see that either unless someones being a bit donkish w a stupid slowplay. The original bettor I would expect would bet harder with a set (it would have to be jacks in his case I think as he was not the PFR) so I dont think he has that. Other flush draws are possible and a bit scary as I am not going to know where I stand if a spade hits (although I could well be good). Two pair/top pair hands like KJ or AQ might well give this action tho a bit afraid of so many callers and waiting for a turn to see what happens. Anyway I am happy to call with my draw and see what peels off next.
As a side note what I really want on the turn is a non spade Q. If this card hit I would just go all in. You might think thats dumb because then I om obv only getting called by another Q and its not a great card because I will just split. That is true but also remember because I have the Tspades noone else can have a flushdraw with the straight if this card hits. If I just go all in on this card anyone with the T also will be like ZOMG I HAVE THE NUTS I CALL etc etc. Then I will be in a real sweet position to have a 20% freeroll to hit a spade on the river and scoop.
Anyway.
The turn is pretty good for me. I now have the flush. I am probably good here although I am worried about a higher flush with this many players obviously. Although I dont think a set is out there I am sure at least 2 pair is there in 1 if not 2 spots so I must bet this hard now. UTG instantly flat calls my bet and everyone else folds knowing at least 1 if not both of us have the flush. This is a bit strange to me and I have to think hard about his range now. Surely a lower flush raises me on this turn I think. If they are going to call me and hope they are good then I am sure they would raise. This is for the chance of the 4th spade hitting the river. Thats a horrible card for a current small flush and most people with one here would just raise all in. The A spades is EASILY out there and why would a small flush flat call my bet and give me/another caller behind them the chance to hit it with not too bad odds in a huge pot? For this reason I find it hard to believe he has a smaller flush than me. I discounted a set (which might well have made a call) for him on the flop. If he had that it would have to have been JJ and that would have bet the flop bigger. So why the small flop bet and insta call of a big bet now? It is looking to me like he possibly has either the nut flush or precisely AJ with the A spades. A hand like Axspades would love this flop and could well have made the common small drawing bet we saw on the flop. It is pretty loose for him to have limped utg with this hand but it is looking very likely now. He would also probably flat call my huge bet on the turn 1) looking to drag others in and 2) hoping I have a flush as well and commit myself on the river. The other possibility is precisely AJ w the A spades. This again could have made the small bet on the flop unsure of where his two pair was at but has now turned into a monster drawing hand against me. I doubt he has AK as he never raised preflop. I am not loving this as I consider this read in my head, thinking I am now either drawing dead against the nuts or against a huge draw. But we will see.
Well the river is godawful. Both the hands I gave him credit for on the turn now beat me. I cannot give him credit for a small flush here as I am sure he would have raised the turn with that. He MIGHT have it but it is not a big a chance as the other 2 hands I think. The sick problem here is position and thats where preflop was marginal. If I check now he might well think his small flush is good and value bet it. He is obv going to bet the two hands I give him credit for as well. I have to go with my read that the smaller flush would have raised the turn and trust myself but it is marginal given the size of his river bet into the size of the pot, but here is what happened on the river.
** RIVER *** [CJ]
SUITEDPOWER: Check
luke1969: Bet $270.00
SUITEDPOWER: Fold
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $878.00 Rake $3.00
luke1969: wins $878.00
Tough cash game decisions
