did i screw this up on the flop?

[joball33 0]

First post.I would like my play on this hand to be critiqued. I am never sure if I should play these hands fast or slow on the flop. The button had been raising many hands preflop, and my image was solid. Every hand I had showndown at this point had been a winner. Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cxPreflop: Hero is BB with 5:diamond:, 5:club:. MP3 posts a blind of $0.50. UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, 2 folds, Hero calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.Flop: (10.50 SB) Q:diamond:, 5:spade:, 4:heart: (6 players)Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Button bets, Hero calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP3 calls.Turn: (7.25 BB) J:spade: (5 players)Hero checks, UTG checks, MP3 checks, Button bets, UTG calls, Button calls.River: (19.25 BB) 3:spade: (4 players)Hero bets, UTG folds, Button calls.Final Pot: 21.25 BBSo should I have raised the flop? At what points during the hand should I have played it differently?

[CrazyJoe 0]

i think this play worked well, you got the button to 3-bet the turn which got an extra couple of big gets in, if you raise the flop, it's likely the button doesn't raise. Hopefully you won the showdown.

[akishore 0]

you REALLY REALLY REALLY should have checkraised the flop, no questions about it.the board is coordinated enough to make it dangerous, ala straight draws (because of the 4-5 n board). the pot is also quite big, and you want to protect this big pot immediately--don't get fancy.now, if the board was more ragged to the point where you didn't mind people coming along, even then checking is terrible. why? because you'll now want to make the field face just one on the flop, so you'll be forced to call the button's bet and not be able to raise for value.this means you want to bet out and trap the field for a bet before button raises and you three-bet.all in all, the flop check is bad all the time.the rest looks good.aseem

[woutoR 0]

dont slowplay trips

[screech 0]

dont slowplay trips

Do whatever is best for your EV. This may mean sometimes slowplaying if your relative position is poor, etc. On this hand I would have lead the flop.

you REALLY REALLY REALLY should have checkraised the flop, no questions about it.

I disagree.

this means you want to bet out and trap the field for a bet before button raises and you three-bet.

This is what I'm going for here.Our equity in this hand is HUGE. Somewhere around 70%. With such a strong hand, I'm not too concerned about protecting against the gutshots that may be out there. Instead, I want to trap the players who are already drawing close to dead for as many bets as possible.

[Sysvr4 0]

I don't think you have to c/r this flop. I think you played it ok, but 90% of the time you slow down your opponents with a c/r on the turn. You were fortunate this wasn't the case here. I'm guessing QJ or AQ for villain?I've found more recently smooth calling this on the flop and donk betting the turn are more likely to get me 3 bets in vs. a turn c/r. Here's my line:Flop: bet/callTurn: bet/raiseRiver: bet/call (river is not a good card for us, don't 3-bet it)Jeff

[akishore 0]

if the pot was smaller, i'd be all for leading out and trapping the field. the pot is big here, and i am more interested in protecting my hand right away.aseem

[Bubba83 0]

i think check raising the turn will scare the button from 3 betting most times, and also scare the rest of the field behind you, luckily UTG called 2 bets cold to give you some extra money, which i am surprised about, but yeah i'd lead this turn hoping the field calls and the button raises, then i 3 bet.

[screech 0]

Aseem,How much smaller would you want the pot to be? Small enough that no one can call profitably with a gutshot for 1 bet?With such a strong hand, I'm not overly concerned with knocking people out. I want to build a large pot, and increase my overall expectation. Sure, we may occassionally get outdrawn by a hand we would have knocked out had we raised, but we will outdraw gutshots more then they will outdraw us. The only hands we realistically have ot worry about are straight draws. Everyone else is drawing near dead against us. The extra money they put in the pot more than makes up for the chances we get outdrawn.

[JaysonWeber 0]

I like keeping this pot multiway for a little while. Your hand is real strong here.

[joball33 0]

I like keeping this pot multiway for a little while. Your hand is real strong here.

That was my thinking as well, but I wanted other opinions on how it could have been played. After reading the replies, I probably should have led out on the flop, since the bet probably wouldn't have made any of my opponents fold, then called the raise from the button.

I'm guessing QJ or AQ for villain?

Actually, he had AA. I was surprised when I saw that. I was expecting AQ, KQ, or QJ also.

[monoatomic 0]

No way am I checkraising that board on the flop. Q 4 5 rainbow, although the 45 connect, is about as ragged a flop as you can find when holding 55. Check raising the flop kills your action on the turn where you can easily get someone holding AQ or some stupid two pair to pay you off.I like this hand through and through.

[Mattnxtc 0]

i think c/r is the worst of the 3 options you have...Im torn between leading the flop or just calling the flop..but both are situational so id do either of those...I like leading the flop if u are relatively sure that the button will raise it on you...then you can call and either lead the turn or c/r the turn again situation dependent...I do like how you played it and i would more than likely play it the same way...The board is somewhat coordinated but not enough that i am overly worried...if the board had 2 to the flush then i defiantly c/r the flop but otherwise im not to worriedc/r is being way to aggressive on a board that isnt all that scary...yes there is 2 to a straight...but a 67 isnt extremely likely and well anybody with a 23 is loose enough that im not worried either way. Like i said earlier..if the board had 2 to a flush id c/r mainly b/c people like to play suited cards more than low connectors.

[guinevar 0]

I also do not like the c /r here at all.Though I do like chocolate milk.

[Demiparadigm 0]

dont slowplay trips

don't slowplay at .5/1 limit.These players love to call. get as many bets in the pot as possible.Quit trying to be sneaky, you are leaving money on the table.

[akishore 0]

okay, i guess the c/r is unpopular. i dunno, big pot, but i'll take your guys' word for it.aseem

[Mattnxtc 0]

okay, i guess the c/r is unpopular. i dunno, big pot, but i'll take your guys' word for it.aseem

Its not that c/r is necessarily bad..its just that there are better options out there...I have to wonder if ur worry about losing this pot is based off of the rough patch uve been going through...ur either wa/wb in this situation and likely way ahead...so with the safe turn card you can open up ur game and really hit them when theres more money to be made