You’re dealt Aces on the button, diamonds and clubs, and you raise to the size of the pot, 900. Blinds are 200-400 with a 50 dollar ante and there are eight players on your poker table. You get two callers. Not something you’re particularly happy about since you’d rather isolate one person, but nonetheless, you have both of them covered with about double their stack. (I’m a writer I get the freedom to make these things up as I go). Anyway, flop comes J-9-3, two clubs. You’re not particularly happy here, either. A Flush draw and a Straight draw on the board (and you have only a small part of the flush). Now first let’s think about this. We still have top pair, but it’s only a pair. What hands could our opponents (who for this exercise we will give the benefit of the doubt as being competent players)? Pocket Jacks is an unlikely holding as someone would most likely raise with Jacks in mid position. Q10 or K10 suited? Or QJ KJ Maybe. A small pocket pair 99 maybe or TT. What about 33, would pocket 3s call here, again it’s a possibility.
We’ll have to analyze their bets and go from there. Check around to you again. You bet out 3000. With a online poker flop like that you don’t want a drawing hand to get a free card. You’re protecting your aces, and at the same time you’re giving your opponents a chance to check raise if they have the set. After all, they’re competent and know you’re most likely going to be Cbetting. The small blind folds, but the big blind just calls. Turn comes Q of clubs. So now we’re thinking K-10 is huge and the flush draw completed. This is a scary board for anyone with aces. Again, the big blind checks. He could be slow playing a huge draw he hit, or he could be still drawing. What to do. I’d say the only thing you can do in this kind of casino games situation is check behind him on this board. And see where the next card takes you. With all the likely holdings, you’re probably up against an already made flush or straight or two pair, and the only card that will improve this for you is another club.
Turn comes 5 club. Now you’re holding the nut flush, the nuts this hand for sure since there is no board pair so a full house is out of the question. What do you do? Well, you came out strong, showed hesitation, and the club looks like it could have helped or hurt you. It all depends on your opponent now. You should use your hesitation now to make it look like you’re taking a stab at it with second best hand. I’d push all in here, as it’s the most desperate looking move in this situation especially if you consider that your opponent knows you have him stacked. Pushing here looks like you’re trying to scare him off his hand.