Top Pair With a Flush Draw

[t1riel]

It seems it never fails for me. Every time I get top pari on the flop there are three of the same suit. What is your stragedy for getting top pair on the flop but there are three of the same suit? I'll give an example:

The blinds are (100/200) You are the Small Blind with . Everyone calls the Big Blind. You raise to 800. Big Blind calls as well as two players in late position. The flop comes:
.
You have 10,500 in chips left. Big blind has 12,000 left. Two players in late position have 9,000 give or take. What would you do if you were first to act. What would you do if you were last to act? Basically, I starting off a discussion on geting top pair or even two pair on the flop with three of the same suit and that suit is not in your starting hand.

 

[Styrofoam]

first to act, you skew the odds to avoid giving correct odds to call to chase a flush. Usually, this means a pot sized bet. Its very likely, they will chase anyways, but to do it against the odds only helps you. Last to act, i probably raise to protect my hand. It is still a favorite against any draw.

 

[Arjonius]

It doesn't require a pot-sized bet to price out a flush draw. Around one-third is the dividing line. In practice, quite a few people will call since it's only slightly anti-percentage, so half the pot may be a better amount. The danger in betting the pot is that if someone has checked a made flush, especially the nut flush, and makes a solid re-raise, you should probably fold. Doing so obviously costs more if you've bet the pot rather than half.

 

[F Paulsson]

Checking the flop and betting a non-club turn is not a bad option here.

 

[medeiros13]

I don't think 1/3 of the pot is going to chase away a flush draw on the turn. Using the 4/2 principal, we know there are at least 4 cards out of 13 in play. So that leaves the OP with about 36% chance. To give him poor pot odds and stay on the safe side, a half pot bet would seem reasonable here.

It doesn't require a pot-sized bet to price out a flush draw. Around one-third is the dividing line. In practice, quite a few people will call since it's only slightly anti-percentage, so half the pot may be a better amount. The danger in betting the pot is that if someone has checked a made flush, especially the nut flush, and makes a solid re-raise, you should probably fold. Doing so obviously costs more if you've bet the pot rather than half.

 

[xace100]

hes a 2 1/2 to 1 chance of hitting his flush with 2 cards to come so id give him odds to call on flop then when he misses his draw on the turn price him out cos he is now 5 to1 to hit so unless ure givin him 5 to 1 or more hes makin a bad call. ok they will get lucky sometimes but aslong as u keep to that strategy u'll win in the long run.

 

[bellhead1970]

The same thing happened to me last night. ring game .5/.10 PP

I was up about $18 at the time. A new player joins the game.

I'm patient wait until I'm in position and limp in a hand with a JHQS. 4 people in the pot. .4 in the pot at the time. Flop comes JC 9C 5H. I have top pair and its checked to me I raise .4 the pot. The new guy is next and calls. The other 2 fold. The Flop Js I bet $2 to take the pot down the guy resaises me to $4 I put him all in at this point which was about another $1 he calls. The flop a $2 of clubs.

That's right he his a flush. He had 10C, 8C I lose.

Later I asked him why he called me and he said the odds where right per the pot. Because he had a open end straight and a flush. I am a little upset about losing $7. But there was no way to put him out of the pot it seems.

My question did he have good odds there? or is there anyway I could have played it better?

 

[Effexor]

To the original post, I'd bet half the pot and go from there. If the table was tight you may buy the pot right there, even if someone has 1 club. Another tactic I like sometimes is try a check raise once again depending on bet sizes. Nothing wrong with aggression and you have the chips to take some shots. After the flop I'd be very cautious if people stayed in the hand after you showed some strength. TPTK is decent here but I certainly wouldn't go overboard.

To the bellhead1970 post:

Next time post the hand history. I had to reread your post like 5 times to figure out what happened in the hand. Just to clarify: the "Flop" is the first 3 cards, the "Turn" or "4th street" is the 4th card and then the last is the "river" or 5th street. Please try and use the correct terminology, it was hard to follow the post when you used the term "flop" for all the cards that came on the board. The hand history is really the best and easiest way to have people help with hands.

To answer your question, I wouldn't have played it any differently from your side. Trip J's on that board with 1 card to come will win more than lose by far, and he did NOT have the odds to call, let alone reraise you. Write his name down and get on his tables, in the long run you'll clean him out.