How do you play this straight?

[DODGYKEN]

[Felonius_Monk]

BB obviously has a straight (one would expect) but as he's so short stacked he ceases to really become an issue. So in effect you're playing against the MP player. His call suggests he does not have the nut straight (probably) and if this is the case you're going to be at least a small favourite (up to about a 60%+ fave if he only has a set). If there's a flush draw it's kinda different and I'd probably wait for a nice turn before moving over him but as it is you have the nuts and it seems unlikely that MP does. I would make the big raise here, I think you can put about 70 bucks in here which puts you so close to all-in you'd be practically pot committed.

As you played it, turn play is kinda difficult. I guess it depends on your read but I think you're either tying for the pot or you're behind, so in reality the $10 bet is giving you a maximum of $30 payout so you could probably fold and wait for a better spot. Only time I'd play on would be if MP was a very poor player, sometimes people make odd moves but I agree this looks like he had top set and it's a milking bet, I cant see any other hand a decent player would play like this. Think he'd have raised a straight on the flop, and there's no flush draw, so I assume he has a boat more often than not.

I definitely like the idea of playing straights carefully but I think this is one situation where you're heads up with a player screaming that he likely has a draw, and even if he doesn't it's no big disaster to put your stack in if you're splitting it with another straight. I think you have to raise this flop and discount the all-in player as a factor. It's now you vs MP and it looks like he's the one on the draw. You also have position, so I'd pot it again on the flop.

Monk
xxxxx

[DODGYKEN]

I knew I should've raised on the flop as soon as I called. It certainly would've helped as I wouldn't have had a decision to make on the turn. The all-in player had the monster KQxx for the straight draw. AS DID THE MP!!!! So he bluffed me out for $10 on the turn with one player all-in! Nob. All of that could've been avoided however if I had raised the flop so I'm annoyed with myself for misplaying it. I think that most of the time I would be splitting the pot at best here so I don't think my turn fold was that bad - the flop was where my mistake was made.

Martin

[briachek]

with the current nuts and that much action, there is very little reason to slow play since your hand will not improve and his could. I would have been max reraising on that flop once it proved to have a lot of action. If the other guy folds, I'm fine going heads up and just bankrupting one player or risk splitting with the all in player. There are very few cards that can hit the turn that you are gonn really like. Any card 7 or higher is a bad card so get it in when you got it to push out the draws or make them pay big.

[DODGYKEN]

I agree Briachek - there wasn't any real reason to play this straight so slowly. I'm a fan of playing straights carefully - especially if there are a few players in and a flush draw out - but this was certainly a spot to push my money (most of my stack) in.

Out of interest, where do you guys stand on playing straights? Do you often play them slowly till the turn, or do you prefer to push on the flop and only play slow when the action is very heavy and there's a flush draw out?

Martin

[euri10]

[Felonius_Monk]

[DODGYKEN]