OK to Raise with the Nuts on the Flop?

JimmyHo

$1/$2 at Rama; on the button and get dealt 45h; 4 callers so I decide to see a flop. Flop comes A23 rainbow. Small blind bets $15, and he gets one caller. I decide to raise another $15 and both other players fold. I had raised a couple of earlier hands but was playing pretty conservative. Was this a bad time to raise? I had the nuts on the flop and figured one of the other players had an ace with a decent kicker so I hoped I would get one caller or maybe a re-raise. Should I have waited for the turn to see if I got any more action? if they checked to me on the turn, should I wait to bet on the river as a bet on the turn would likely scare them away? I like to bet when I have a good hand on the hope someone else has a decent hand. "Who is most likely to go broke on this hand?", not me. Cheers.

g2

Min-raising makes baby jesus cry.

I'd slowplay it since it's a rainbow but I would have pumped it another $30-$40 otherwise.

/g2

Martin Bandle

if i had some loose players on my left i would do exactly what you did...come to think of it i would have done what you did regardless lol

Hobbes

Given the preflop action, I bet it too.
Odds are someone has an Ace.

HP_John

I know a lot of people may disagree w/ me but I think you should've raised more. Too often in a multiway pot, I've seen people slowplay the nuts only to get drawn out, & not able to get away from their hand.

1. W/ any 5 handed pot, a set is possible (obviously possible w/ any pot, but more likely w/ a big multiway). If someone has a set, don't make it the bare min for them to fill up. 7 boat outs is almost an OESD, a set is gonna call you anyway, make them pay for it w/ the odds in your favour.

2. The min raise on that flop screams monster IMO. What else could you have except the nuts? A bigger raise may look like you don't want action (ie they think you just have a Ace & mid kicker), & may induce a call from a hand that's drawing virtually dead (it's trendy now for people to limp w/ AK/Q).

3. If you call the flop, you'll kick yourself if the T pairs the board. You have no idea where you stand. Someone could've flopped a set/2 pr & filled up, or not.

JimmyHo

thanks, I never thought of the option of a larger raise which in fact may make sense as a minimum raise does look very suspicious; the guy sitting beside me asked if I had the straight after everyone folded. This game is definitely not easy.

m_dolens

since the flop was a rainbow and there was no preflop raising, i would have definitely slowplayed this hand. however, i would have put out a good size bet (at least 3/4 of the pot) on the turn. even if someone hit their A on the flop, with no preflop raises they are probably holding A rag. if they hit two pair they'd be betting/raising to protect their hand i would imagine. check the flop to give them time to catch up.

on the other hand, if there was a lot of preflop action and/or the board was 'flushing/straightening' i would have probably bet at least 3/4 of the pot on the flop. i agree with most people here that minimum raises tend to scare me. they seem to almost scream that i have the best hand and i'm begging for a call. i find it hard to agree that a min raise is ever the correct move (except possibly as a value bet on the river or some similar scenario as that).

SirWatts

It would not be ok not to raise here, but don't minraise please, make it at least like 45 or something depending how much money people have behind.

JimmyHo

SirWatts wrote: »

It would not be ok not to raise here, but don't minraise please, make it at least like 45 or something depending how much money people have behind.

So do you think a min re-raise would scare people away but 45 might keep them around? I will have to try this tonight; I will try a bluff with a minimum re-raise to see if it results in a fold.

SirWatts

No they probably still would have folded because no one had a big enough hand to call. But when someone does have a good hand you want to win as much as possible and raising to 45 looks no stronger than raising to 30 really.

povedawg

I would have waited for 4th street to come up and then make your move

ReefAquarium

pokerJAH wrote: »

$1/$2 at Rama; on the button and get dealt 45h; 4 callers so I decide to see a flop. Flop comes A23 rainbow. Small blind bets $15, and he gets one caller. I decide to raise another $15 and both other players fold. I had raised a couple of earlier hands but was playing pretty conservative. Was this a bad time to raise? I had the nuts on the flop and figured one of the other players had an ace with a decent kicker so I hoped I would get one caller or maybe a re-raise. Should I have waited for the turn to see if I got any more action? if they checked to me on the turn, should I wait to bet on the river as a bet on the turn would likely scare them away? I like to bet when I have a good hand on the hope someone else has a decent hand. "Who is most likely to go broke on this hand?", not me. Cheers.

Normally I hate min raising or slowplaying unless.

1. The opponents will improve to 2nd best hand.
2. Pot is small.
3. I have good "control" over the opponent.

Here I think the min raise is not too horrible. You're offering them 5 to 1 to draw out on you... that's huge odds... if they have anything at all they call.
... If they have nothing.. they probably won't call a bet on the turn anyways unless they make and unlikely trips.

This of course sets them up for a little min-raise bluff in the future *evil laugh*