Bad play or bad luck

[Tokenizer]

There are a few things about this hand I didn't like but *I* think I played it the way I should have given the circumstances.

I've been watching this table a while before sitting down, lots of action, preflop raises get called by all but the worst of limping hands it seems. The table has some real fish and I just sat down and get 8h7h in the BB.

$100 NL .5/1 blinds

2 limpers in EP, LP raises to $4, I call figuring the other two will as well, they both do. The flop comes down [ Kh 2h 3h ].

I flopped the flush, I check looking to CR and take it down or get my money in. I'm not sure about this play... I know I have to play the flush and am most likely ahead. I made my hand with sutied connectors... it's just a matter of how to play the vulnerable holding. If I bet out I'm likely to be called by draws or have someone put me on a draw because flopped flushes don't normally bet out. I don't have the Ah so I figure someone may have the nut draw and will semibluff with it or toss out a feeler bet with AK. Those without a peice of the hearts will get out quickly. Chances are someone will bet and thus I figure its a good spot to CR and take the pot which is already ~$16.

It gets to an EP limper and he bets $4. This guy was loose and not very tricky. I put him on a K and some medium heart. He wouldn't have limp/called with AK and makes weak bets to test the waters with troubled kickers. He could be on the nut heart draw but he rarely semibluffs from previously playing with him.

It folds around to me and I raise to $20 - (betting the pot). The guy thinks for a while and then *calls* my CR. Strange... if you have the nuts you reraise there with that kind of action and without it why even call? I start to rethink my AK doubts... I still feel he's playing top pair and a heart kicker.

Turn comes blank 8c. I bet what he has left in front of him - $32. There is $56 in the pot and no reason for him to think he can be ahead here IMO without a flush. I thought the $32 would be enough to get him to lay it down. Instead he calls and before the cards are shown I see the ulgiest river I could have.... the 5h.

With four hearts now on the board I figure I'm toast. What does he flip over... Kd Jh.

I know I got sucked out and I'd love to have the guy call me all day everyday but as far as the hand went is there any way I could have played it to possibly get the other flush draws out of there after the flop? On a table like this do you toss the suited connectors in the BB to a standard raise or do you play them? I had a good read on the player I was up against but sometimes even the best made plans go horribly wrong.

[Danhdan]

I think you played it fine...this guy seems like a calling station, not even thinking about his opponent's cards in this situation. And he hit his heart for his pretty horrible flush.

Depending on who I am playing, sometimes I just call a bet and keep the pot small with suck a small flush and then bet the turn big if the 4th heart doesn't come down...making it more difficult to call for my opponent. I still think even with this play he calls your all-in or big bet on the turn. Put him on the list.

[Rhound50]

Bad luck you played this right a flopped flush is a vulnerable hand like you said. This is a really weak play by your opponant if he has the AK with the Ah its a little better but he was calling with a draw that might not even be good if it hits. Plus after the turn he is behind 84/16 and Oviously not getting 5:1 on his money. You played this hand ok, but I wouldnt assume that if your opponant has the nut flush that he wont call on the folp. If he has the nuts he has two more betting rounds to exstract money from you why give away his stregnth that early let you think he is drawing and not risk you folding to his reraise.

[McMonkey]

After the flop I think you played this well and just got some bad luck. I'm a little iffy on the pre-flop call, however. You're getting a discount from the BB, but you know you'll only have 3 others in the hand. Add that to the fact that you're out of position, need a great flop to continue (or risk throwing away more $$ paying to draw) and even if you do hit a near perfect flop (like this) you'll only get action from stronger hands/draws and total fish and it seems like it might be better here to just toss that connector. Then again, my opinion is a bit tainted at the moment, as I've noticed (thank you PokerTracker) that I was overvaluing hands in the BB and am on a mission to fix that leak (as well as a baffling propensity to play AJ too often).

[iceman5]