Archive pick: Nut flush on the turn multi-way with deep stacks, nl cash

What we said then…

I think the controlling factor in this decision is the stack sizes of your opponents. With a significant stack still to act behind you (and a full stack leading the action), your goal has to be how to build the biggest pot possible to extract maximum value from a second best. Working toward that goal might cause you to win a couple of smaller pots than you might have otherwise, but the chance to double through on the big stack behind easily outweighs that risk.

With that in mind, I’m making a raise here that’s right at 3x or just a touch lower. I like that raise (and raising in general) for a couple of reasons. One, it’s small enough that it looks a little like an isolation raise, and might compel the big stack to repop with a smaller flush (or maybe even a set), and any raise he makes builds the pot enough that we should be able to get all in by the river. Two, it’s small enough that a stationy player might come along with a straight or two pair, building a pot that, while it won’t get us all in by the river, will allow us to make a 50 BB + river bet for value. Three, it’s consistent with our aggressive image and doesn’t raise red flags about our strength the way a checkraise here or on the river would.

There are arguments for just calling and raising large here, but I think the most certain way to a very large pot here is to get started right away. As it stands, you’re still about 3 pot-sized raises away from getting all the money in, and it’s a lot easier to make that happen over two streets than one. If the stacks were all closer to 80 BBs, I think you have a much stronger argument for a call, as getting all in by the river wouldn’t require nearly as much of a set up on the turn.

What actually happened: You raised to $40 and the player behind folded. The SB called. The river bricked, he checked, you bet a little under pot and he folded.

What actually happened is typical. The player behind folds and the SB calls just to save his face - ehi! You’ve the flush but I’ve a big hand too! - then check-folds the river. If you instead call on the turn
- you can invite the player behind to call
- after the probable check on the river of the SB you can bet hard and represent a river bluff. He may not believe you and pay. It’s a useful pattern also to prepare some river steal in the future.

Flat call every time for me.

You have the nuts in a multi-way pot, no need to go crazy, just build the odds for someone with Kh to draw to another heart, or 96 to stay in.

If someone hits, then youre more than likely going to extract more in the long run than if you raise now.

I would flat call, I have the nutts I want the guy after me to stick around. My plan is to have SB bet again on the river then I raise, the guy after me may fold then but if I make a good raise the SB will probably call me and give me more.

You have to raise small here and give the SB a chance to reraise if he made a smaller flush. Why? Because if he has, and another heart falls on the river, it will kill your action.

yes but the smaller flush is very unlikely while top pair or a straight draw are much more likely…

I voted min-3x cos those sorts of bets tend to work wonders multiway

That being said i don’t think that there’s anything wrong with any of the options

Call gives everyone the best opportunity to make second best hands

Raising may look bluffy with your aggro image and someone may be tempted to call you down light.

Go hard or Go home

Build on your aggro image. A min raise looks bluffy and would not deter either a LAG or a calling station with a king or a set or a turned 2 pr. It would only fold out mid or bottom pairs and they aint gonna play a big pot any way. If they call you know you got your self a doozy. They may even raise you up for you insolent bluff.
The juicier the pot on the turn the bigger the bet you can make on the river. If theres another heart comes on the river the smaller flush will pay you off. If there no heart the 2pr or set will pay you off. Calling the turn will probably just bring a small pot from these players who have will often put money in to the pot readily if you ask them nicely to do so.

Not much of a decision here. Its an obvious call. Two more streets to get more money in. No reason to guard against drawouts with this type of hand.

The only way a raise will make more money is if he has a smaller flush. There are only 8 in the deck which makes another flush unlikely enough to discard. Every hand we can beat will fold on a raise.

Pot building is all well and good, but sometimes you can build a bigger one by just calling, letting everyone else come on in and encouraging another lead bet from someone else on the river. You’ve got the nut flush–let out enough rope for someone else to hang himself.