Flopping a flush and getting paid off….

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

MP: $73.30
CO: $20.20
BTN: $30.35
Hero (SB): $17.35
BB: $19.55
UTG: $23.80

Pre-Flop: A T dealt to Hero (SB)
2 folds, CO raises to $0.50, BTN folds, Hero calls $0.40, BB calls $0.25

Flop: ($1.50) 5 6 K (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB checks, CO bets $0.90, Hero calls $0.90, BB folds

Turn: ($3.30) 7 (2 Players)
Hero checks, CO bets $1.40, Hero raises to $7.50, CO calls $6.10

River: ($18.30) 2 (2 Players)
Hero bets $8.45 and is All-In, CO calls $8.45

Results: $35.20 Pot ($1.75 Rake)
CO showed A K (a pair of Kings) and LOST (-$17.35 NET)
Hero showed A T (a flush, Ace high) and WON $33.45 (+$16.10 NET)

A friend of mine moved to Vegas over a year ago to make a living playing cards. His blog “The Vegas Year” is a great read and this is sort of a tribute to him because recently he made a post about flopping flushes and this hand reminded me of that post.

This was an interesting hand for me. I’ve been trying real hard to get paid off on my made hands. I’ve decided that I would try and maximize profit by betting bigger when I think I’m going to get paid off.

Nothing special about this hand except that I played it like I was drawing to a flush instead of having made it there on the flop already.

Once the button made a minimum raise, I had the feeling that he was playing something strong so I flat call in hoping to catch two pair or a good draw.

The flop comes and I’m golden. I have the nut flush. Now I’m thinking about how to maximize this situation to my benefit. I flat call the flop because I don’t want to scare him away just yet. This could be a standard continuation bet on his part so I just flat call. I still think he has something decent but the small flop bet has me worried that he’s scared, that’s why I just flat called the flop. I’m hoping he’ll fire another bullet on the turn, which will give me an idea of what he’s holding.

So I check and he bets out again. I don’t think he’d fire another round if he doesn’t have something or is perhaps drawing to a flush himself or maybe if I’m lucky he already has hit his flush also and trying to value bet me on the turn.

I check raise him the pot. Yes it seems excessive, so excessive it seems like I’m trying to buy the pot with a drawing type hand. That’s my line at least and it worked he calls my check raise. The reason why I did this is because I know that most players with the nuts would just flat call. It’s so obvious when that happens, so I decide to take a different line on this. I’m trying to make him believe I’m semi-bluffing. I mean why bet so big when you have nuts right? The tricky part is what does he have that’s he’s calling me with. I already put him a decent hand right from the get go (min. raise on the button..it’s either he’s got something big and wants a little action as most players at these levels are apt to do). I put his range anywhere from a set or at least A/K with the K of clubs. Best case scenario he’s playing a flush also and he thinks he’s trapping me by flat calling my checkraise. In any event I don’t think he’s putting me on the nut flush.

The river doesn’t pair up so I’m looking good if he has a set or if he’s got a flush or even A/K. There’s no way he’s putting me on the nut flush especially with the check raise overbet on the turn.

I decided to go all in like I’m trying to buy the pot. There’s no point in checking as he might check behind me and I win the pot anyway. So I have to bet to keep up appearances. I shove and he calls.

The rest is history. We chat a bit and he says to me that he thought I was drawing all the way and he never put me on the nut flush. I don’t want to sound egotistical but I think that I’m playing and thinking way beyond what most of the players at these stakes are, which is a good thing because once I reach my goal of $1k I feel that I’m in good position to move up a level.

Going to AC today, so I will have more stories to tell….hopefully I won’t be writing bad beat stories….lol.