Recently when playing a 3 table sit and go, I flopped a big hand early on, and have been wondering if I extracted maximum chips. This hand occured in the 2nd level of the sit and go, and I didn't have a reeal read on any of the players.

I had 4s5s in the SB and I completed. We saw the flop 4 handed.

Flop As 2s 3h. Monster flop for me. Nut straight, straight flush draw. How do I extract the max with this hand? I know it is difficult to say because I don't have a read on any of the players, but how would everyone play this hand?

Here are some thoughts on this scenario.

The risk to slowplaying this hand is if someone is holding two spades in their hand. I got knocked out of a tournament yesterday when I had 45 in the BB, two limpers - I checked, and the flop was 2 3 6 with two diamonds. I checked, EP min-betted, MP called and I called as well. Turn brought a third diamond, so I bet the pot; they both called. River was a blank. I bet out, they both called and they BOTH had made the diamond flush on the turn so I was drawing dead (K9s took the pot).

The table was so loose though that even if I had bet the pot post-flop, I'm sure that one or both of those guys would have called my bet since they had the draw. Of course if they didn't have the draw, then they would probably fold.

So in your case four handed, I bet 1/2 pot and hopefully someone with a lone A or a draw comes along for the ride or tries to blow me off the pot. I don't check raise post-flop as that would signal too much strength. Check calling would be an option too.

If no scare cards fall on the turn/river (another spade), I value bet my hand trying to keep an A-rag player from folding. If a spade falls, then I'm betting the pot.

slowplaying here is death.