$10 NLHE 6-max: 2nd Nut Flush, Played Passively

[blueskies]

I had KhJc on BB. UTG opens to 26c. Everyone folds I called. Effective stack size is about 120bbs.

QJ6 flop, all hearts. I check to the raiser.

He bets 18c into 57c pot.

I raised to 40c he calls. Wanted to get some value here but wanted to size it small enough that he'd stick around.

Turn is the Th. I was not thrilled to see this particular heart. This means if he had a heart that I could beat, it would be 9h at the highest. I decided to check it.

Villain is somewhat on the nitty side and I didn't think I would get more than 1 street of value from him so I decided to undersell the strength of my hand. I don't think he has a set at this point so no fear of a FH. If he had 8h or 9h, he'd be drawing to a one outter royal flush. And if he has Ah, I was drawing dead anyhow.

He bet 44c into the 1.37c pot. I called. The guy's not a dummy and he's not particular aggro. The small size felt like a value bet to me. If he had a 9h, from his perspective I could have Kh or Ah, so he would more likely check. What hand is he trying to milk value from if he had a mediocre heart? A pair of Q or J? In the back of my mind I was thinking he might have the Ah.

River's a Qd. I check and he bets 72c into the 2.25 pot. For sure he was betting for value at this point. I thought about raising to maybe $1.70 and get 9h to call, but based on my feel of this player, I felt it was more likely he had the Ah and was trying to give me the price to call. The way I played it I don't think he expects me to have Kh.

I called and...

Spoiler

He had AhAd.

Smh.

 

[puzzlefish]

When it feels like they have it, they usually have it.

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Standard defend

Flop
I think, a lot of people would raise with a hand like this, but I also think, its a pretty substantial mistake, because if we break down his range, what does a raise really accomplish? He is never folding a better hand, so we are not semibluffing, and there are also not to many worse hands, that continue. If he has a hand like Ac9h, is he really going to call a raise trying to draw to a 9-high flush on a 4-flush board? Probably not if he is on the tighter side, as you say, and when you have Kh in your hand, you dont need to protect against random bad flushdraws. In fact you want to keep them in, so they can pay you off, if the 4-flush comes. You also dont want to bloat the pot to much, because you are drawing to a very obvious second nuts, and if the pot get very bloated, you are often going to be against exactly the nuts.

Turn
I completely agree with your reason for checking, and this very much point back to the flop action. Because when we raise a draw on the flop, make it on the turn, and now have to check for pot control, then we definitely did something wrong. As played of course a standard check-call.

River
Not totally loving that he bet again, especially not since the board is now also paired. But you are very high in your range and getting 4:1, so you only need to be good 1 out of 5 times, and your hand is also somewhat underrepresented after check-calling the turn. So I would also pay this off, and for me the only mistake in the hand was raising the flop and helping to build the pot for a hand, that had you absolutely crushed the whole way.

 

[300HPGOD]

In agreement with Fundiver. When I went through the hand I did not get your raise on the flop not only the idea of raising but the sizing as well. I think if we are going to raise here it should be more of a "standard" sizing instead of the almost clicking it back but again want to reiterate I would not raise there and I think its a perfect spot to just call rather cheaply with a hand that definitely has value but not one we want to play huge for just yet.

Turn and river I think are easy calls as I would be scared of the Ace of hearts as well but there are players who are betting like this as blockers (even in position on the turn to act as a blocker to your river action) so you are getting a good enough price with 2nd flush to call.

Good thinking by you too in hand to know that the 10 of hearts was not the heart you wanted as it takes away a hand that could call you down.

 

[Sidetracked]

I will usually agree with fund, but in this case, I disagree.

"Villain is somewhat on the nitty side ...' (your assessment) and he opened UTG. Your KJo is a trouble hand vs his tight UTG range. I prefer a fold preflop here. KJs would be an OK defend, as your suitedness gives you more playability postflop.

 

[mt2lhd]

my opinion based in experience is people don't bluff a flush or straight out-of-position that often. it is more common to out-of-position players try to steal a dry board. If i was in this scenario I would fold after he called your re-raise

 

[fundiver199]

"Villain is somewhat on the nitty side ...' (your assessment) and he opened UTG. Your KJo is a trouble hand vs his tight UTG range. I prefer a fold preflop here. KJs would be an OK defend, as your suitedness gives you more playability postflop.

Just for fun I googled and found this old chart, which does in fact have KJo as a defend, but KTo as a fold. So its close, and if we really have a solid read, he is a nit, then it would in fact be reasonable to not defend some of the worst hands on the chart including this one. But my statement "standard defend" is still correct at least according to this chart. When preflop spots are very close, it does not matter so much, if we go one way or another, and for me the most interesting decision in this hand is the one on the flop

Poker Strategy - Defending the Big Blind in 6-Max Poker - PokerVIP