Hello all

Okay, everybody's playing NLHE, and so I should give it a go too. My bread-and-butter game is limit 7CS, so the experience is slightly unsettling, but so far I'm doing well. Lots of interesting hands came about in my first session, but the one I really can't let go is this:

Cast of characters:

BB ($20)
Seat1 ($6)
Hero ($26)
BTN ($30)

Hero is dealt:

Seat1 calls, Hero calls, BTN calls, BB checks
4 players, $1.10 pot

Flop:

Seat1 checks, Hero's bewildered but checks, BTN bets $1.50, BB folds, Seat1 check-raises to $3.00. Hero?

Here's what I like: Nut flush draw (duh!) and the fact that someone else might be drawing to diamonds.

What I don't like: If someone is drawing to diamonds, there're only 7 left and if it's seat1, there's not much to win. A two pair or set has re-draws. The aces are iffy outs at best. I don't know my odds, because I'm sandwiched.

The last factor really is the bitch in this equation. I folded and called myself gay (which made me angry and a short fight broke out). I then called myself gay again for playing a suited ace and then folding when the flush draw materialises. Another fight broke out. It's getting ugly here, so i thought I'd ask better players' opinion.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Smurf

Full ring or shorthanded? Aggressive or passive table?

I'm going to assume full ring, and typical table = mostly passive at $25 NL.

Here's my thoughts.

Short stacks are donks. A minimum check raise is a big hand, especially to a donk. A flush draw is not a big hand to a donk. So Seat1 does not have a flush draw. JT or a set is most likely.

The button does not have to have a huge hand here. He could even have been betting with nothing trying to take it down. But he likely has a pair. It's unlikely he will reraise. $25 NL players tend to get cautious. And they tend to slowplay. If he had a set he would probably have checked the flop behind. Yes it's terrible but it's what typical players do.

I call the flop. If you call and the button calls, there will be $10.10 in the pot. The nice thing is that the guy with the announced big hand only has $3 left, not enough to push you off your draw on the turn.

So. Here's how it's going to go. You call. Button calls.
Turn comes. Seat 1 pushes his teeny stack. You call (hit or miss). Button calls.
River comes. You hit and bet for value, or you miss and check/fold.

You have plenty of odds to chase this.

Yes it's possible the button could wake up with a hand and reraise the flop or bet the turn. But it's not that likely.

Ooops, you're right. semi-loose, rather passive full ring game.