Four cards to a flush on the turn
LA.
I’m playing with mostly unknown players. My image probably isn’t very good. I’ve been card dead and haven’t played many hands in 2-3 hours and am down a rack. I’m the oldest player at the table despite being in my mid sixties.
I open on the button with QTcs.
Big blind calls. He’s Asian, probably in his 30’s, appears to be skillful but I’ve never played with him before. He hasn’t been overly active.
Flop comes 7h 8h Th.
Check, bet, he calls.
Turn 3h 7h 8h Th.
He bets.
What’s my best play? I can make a case for folding, calling, or raising.
12 Replies
I mean it’s bb vs button unless you have a great read I would call at least once and then soul read river if he bets again.
I mean what is he saying with this bet? “I had a strong heart but I didn’t raise the flop on a board that favors my range over your range”? Seems weird.
Raising as a bluff I guess makes some sense but it’s pretty risky.
I would probably call 2x expecting to lose. Raising seems pointless - he’s not folding a heart and I’d rather he keep bluffing if he does have some stupid airball hand.
If you don't have a read that he is tricky capable and for the specific pot size and board and heads up I check fold the turn.
He bets the turn and I call.
Folding seems too weak especially without any history. Raising seems overly aggressive against an unknown. Against some weaker players who might fold if they don’t have a big heart raising has merits.
A blank comes on the river. (don’t remember exact card).
What are my optimal plays if he
a) checks
b) bets
?
I would probably call 2x expecting to lose. Raising seems pointless - he’s not folding a heart and I’d rather he keep bluffing if he does have some stupid airball hand.
He's not folding a heart? So he leads out with Jack of hearts and gets check raised here and he is not folding? A raise here just looks so strong, looks like the ace!
He's not folding a heart? So he leads out with Jack of hearts and gets check raised here and he is not folding? A raise here just looks so strong, looks like the ace!
1. It’s not a checkraise because hero is in position.
2. Yes, if someone led out with a medium heart on a 4 flush board I expect them to call down. But it’s very rare that people donk medium 1-card flushes into the raiser on the turn. This tends to be either the Ax/Kx or some weird airball, and when you have a bluff catcher against a polarized range, it’s usually best to just call down.
He bets the turn and I call.
Folding seems too weak especially without any history. Raising seems overly aggressive against an unknown. Against some weaker players who might fold if they don’t have a big heart raising has merits.
A blank comes on the river. (don’t remember exact card).
What are my optimal plays if he
a) checks
b) bets
?
If he checks he’s either giving up and won’t call or he has you beat and he won’t fold. So I check.
If he bets I would just call off a blank as default unless I could get some amazing read off a speechplay.
What hands are we hoping he has here in the turn?
The river seem to be the more interesting spot shrug
This is the sort of spot that probably won't happen often enough that you can play quite exploitative since people will play their own strategy in BB instead of remember what their opponent will do. In either case most people can't bluffs this spot too much because people will auto call w pair down. The time that he doesn't donk is when it get interesting because now you can play a highly exploitative strategy of always bluffing Ax while k/b pair flush type hand because it block people pair while unblock their 65o draw or something and can bluff riv. Anyway in either case call once and fold riv if you are on top of your game and has a good read he not some expert or huge fish. Calling twice is fine too you probably -ev but net 0 overall on turn.
