02-22-05, LearnTexasHoldem:

Losing To Flushes - Hand Analysis

Question:I would really appreaciate if you could comment on two hands that i played yesterday (2/4).

In both cases i lost to flushes hitting on the river. Should they be played differently??

In the first hand i had AA. I raise and get 3 callers. the flop is [2s 8s 9d]. I bet and the next player raises. Because he has done that before a few times as a semi-bluff i think he is on a flush or straight draw or maybe a A9. the turn is 3c, so i bet again and he raises again and i call. The river is 6s, and i call his bet and his hand is indeed a flush [Ks 9s]. I think his play was correct since he had top pair as well, and maybe i should have raised on the flop to scare him a bit, but the fact is that he would not fold anyway. So what do you do?

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Answer: This is limit holdem. I think you played the hand well. Another way of playing the hand would have been to reraise the flop -- you bet, he raises, and you make it three bets -- to penalize a flush draw. When I have a big pair I usually do the reraise on the flop but the bet on the turn was just as good.

In the next hand i'm dealt [Jc Td]. i call a raise from the BB with five people in. the flop came [4d Jd 7h]. i check the initial raiser (Shave) bets, one player calls (KJ111) and then me. Up to this point i'm feeling nice. The raiser could have something better but maybe not and this hasnt no cost much. The turn is [Ts] giving me two pair.

I dont think someone has a straight draw so after i check and the Shave bets, KJ111 calls i raise.To my surprise Shave raises, KJ11 calls...i reraise. So Shave probably has JJ?? Anyway the mystery ends when the turn is [Qd] and KJ111 wins with a flush. Maybe i shouldnt have reraised on the turn since i didnt have the nuts.......

Thanks for a great site, and most importantly for your time!! Pit

Answer: Reraising there was fine. Just like the first example, you correctly read that you had the best hand and put in your money with it. In limit holdem, top two pair is very strong and you want to get the most return as possible. It is possible that the preflop raiser had a set -- JJJ or TTT -- but that is unlikely. And even if the other caller had 89 for the straight, you still had 6 outs on the river for the redraw to a fullhouse. Don't let these two hands make you more timid.

Your reads were correct in both cases and in both cases you got your money in with the best hand; that is all you can do in poker, the rest will just fall into place after while.

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